Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 20: The Karnataka Lokayukta, under SP Udesh, submitted an interim 8,000-page B Report on Thursday in connection with the controversial Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam case. According to officials, the Lokayukta team arrived at the People’s Representative Court in Bengaluru with four bags containing 27 volumes of documents related to the investigation.
Lokayukta SP Udesh confirmed that the investigation is proceeding according to established procedures, with the documents playing a crucial role in the enquiry. “The investigation is progressing as per procedure. The documents submitted form a crucial part of the enquiry,” he stated.
The controversy stems from an earlier notice issued by the Karnataka Lokayukta Police to complainant Snehamayi Krishna, which stated that the allegations in the MUDA scam case could not be substantiated due to insufficient evidence. The complaint filed by Krishna invoked multiple legal provisions, including the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Karnataka Land Acquisition Act.
However, after reviewing the evidence, the Lokayukta concluded that the allegations against four accused individuals—Siddaramaiah, Parvathi Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Swami, and Devaraj—were either civil in nature, outside the scope of a criminal investigation, or based on misinterpretations of legal provisions. Consequently, the Lokayukta declared the case “not actionable” and submitted the final report to the competent court.
In response to the notice, complainant Snehamayi Krishna sharply criticized the Lokayukta, accusing it of shielding political leaders. She vowed to challenge the report in court, stating, “It is proven what I doubted about Lokayukta. Lokayukta officials behaved like they had sold their souls to political leaders. Though I have submitted all required documents, Lokayukta police have given a notice saying that they’re going to file a B report stating there is no evidence against Siddaramaiah, Parvathi Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Swami, and Devaraj.”
Karnataka Leader of Opposition (LoP) R Ashoka also expressed his displeasure with the decision, commenting, “The Lokayukta investigation in MUDA land scam was an investigation of Siddaramaiah, by Siddaramaiah and for Siddaramaiah. Congress Ministers and MLAs had given a clean chit to CM and his wife even before the investigation had begun. So it is no surprise that the Lokayukta police has now submitted with a B Report giving a clean chit to CM and his wife. Neither the people of Karnataka expected that the Lokayukta investigation will bring justice in this case. Justice may have been delayed but won’t be denied. Truth and truth alone will win.”