Investigation Against Siddaramaiah In MUDA Land Case to Continue As Karnataka High Court Upholds Governor's Nod

Corruption cases filed against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah are set to proceed forward as the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday (24 September) dismissed a petition challenging the Governor's approval to continue the cases.

The plea was filed by Siddaramaiah, who is facing cases pertaining to a land grant made to his wife by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and three private individuals are pursuing the corruption cases.

Justice M Nagaprasanna upheld the 16 August order by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, stating that the sanction for filing cases against Siddaramaiah did not lack proper consideration.

The court noted that the reasons for the Governor’s decision were adequately documented in official files, though they were not explicitly mentioned in the final sanction order, Indian Express reported.

"There is no fault with the Governor," said Justice Nagaprasanna in the ruling. The court further observed that the case warranted investigation due to the 2021 land grant by MUDA to Siddaramaiah's family.

The Karnataka High Court noted an inquiry would be necessary to determine if any corruption was involved. It also ruled that the three individuals who sought the Governor’s sanction were justified.

It clarified that the approval of the competent authority, in this case, the Governor, is required before initiating an investigation into a public servant under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.

The court also pointed out that Section 17A does not stipulate that only police officers can request such a sanction. Moreover, the Governor can override the Cabinet’s advice in cases where a conflict of interest arises.

On 12 September, the high court reserved its judgment following extensive arguments on the petition filed by Siddaramaiah on 19 August which challenged the Governor's approval to investigate the 2021 allotment.