In a dramatic turn of event, the Karnataka Police have filed an FIR against RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna who is one of the complainants in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment scam case involving Congress CM Siddaramaiah. Krishna has been booked in a case of assault and harassment, based on a woman’s complaint filed on 21st August. As per reports, the Nanjangud Police station registered an FIR on the same day, however, it only became public on Saturday evening.
Reacting to the development, Krishna not only denied the allegations, he said that the FIR was part of a “conspiracy” to silence his activism. Recently, while hearing his plea, a special MP/MLA court had directed the Lokayukta Police to investigate charges against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in the MUDA scam case. Subsequently, the Lokayukta Police booked Siddaramaiah and three others under charges of corruption, cheating and forgery in connection with the allotment of 14 MUDA housing sites to Congress CM’s wife in 2021.
The case came to prominence after Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot had acted on private complaints submitted by Krishna, T J Abraham and Pradeep Kumar to grant prosecution sanction against Siddaramaiah. While dismissing the Congress leader’s plea, the High Court had upheld the Governor’s actions.
Complainant against Siddaramaiah booked in assault and harassment case
A woman named Lavanya has accused Krishna and three others of attempting to assault her. She alleged that they dragged her, used obscene language, and threatened to kill her. As per reports, the alleged incident occurred on 18th July while Lavanya and her mother were returning from court.
According to her allegations, the harassment was related to a property dispute involving her late husband’s family and the distribution of death beneficiary money and her jewellery. She has alleged that Krishna was acting on behalf of her in-laws. Her husband passed away from a heart attack in 2020.
Based on her complaint, the Police have filed a case under Sections 85, 126(2), 74, 352, 351(2), 79, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Speaking with reporters about the registration of an FIR against him, Krishna said, “This is an attempt to suppress my fight against corruption. Even if I am jailed, my battle will continue.”
He added that he has written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials to investigate corruption charges in the MUDA scam involving the alleged misappropriation of over Rs 5,000 crore.
He further stated that he plans to file a formal complaint with the ED and has already petitioned the court for a CBI investigation into MUDA’s site-allotment irregularities since 2015.
What are the allegations against Congress CM Siddaramaiah in the MUDA scam?
On 10th July, RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna filed a complaint against CM Siddaramaiah and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the development authority (MUDA). The allegations involve the allotment of 14 pricey land sites in Mysuru to the family members of CM Siddaramaiah in exchange for 3 acres 16 guntas of land which were on the outskirts of the city.
The complaint has accused CM Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy Devaraj, who claimed to be a landowner, and his family of ‘wrongdoings’. It has alleged irregularities and a scam in the land acquisition and allotment of an alternate site to CM’s family.
As per the allegations, the development authority (MUDA) generally follows a 60:40 ratio in development projects after acquiring lands from farmers. According to the 60:40 rule, the authority gives back 40% of land to the aggrieved farmers in the “same developed project”. However, in the allotment of land to CM Siddaramaiah’s family, it is alleged that the MUDA officials followed a 50:50 ratio and allocated plots in alternate sites whose estimated worth is said to be higher.
The scam allegations against the CM have sent shockwaves in state politics. The principal opposition party, BJP has been demanding a CBI probe. According to the BJP, CM Siddaramaiah helped himself with the allotment of 14 plots in the upscale Vijayanagar locality in Mysuru. They have charged CM’s family with accepting Rs 35 crore worth of plots in place of earlier decided compensation of Rs 3 lakh.
