Lokayukta officers accused of deliberately slowing down probe by bowing to political pressure
Mysuru: The ongoing Lokayukta investigation into MUDA site scam has taken a new twist, with Lokayukta officials being accused of deliberately slowing down probe under pressure from influential figures in State Government.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife B.M. Parvathi, brother-in-law B.M. Mallikarjunaswamy, landowner J. Devaraju and others are accused in the case. The controversy centres on a 3.16-acre plot in Kesare owned by Parvathi, for which she allegedly secured 14 prime sites in Vijayanagar. Though the 14 sites have since been returned, the investigation is still underway.
RTI activist Gangaraju has lodged a formal complaint with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, alleging delays in issuing search warrants.
The complaint was filed via email and post, accusing some Lokayukta officials of leaking crucial information to people in power, allowing Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, through his Special Officer Maruti Bagali to retrieve key documents and take them to Bengaluru.
Former MUDA Commissioners Dr. D.B. Natesh and G.T. Dinesh Kumar and Mysuru Lokayukta Dy.SP S.K. Malateesh also have been mentioned in the complaint by Gangaraju as co-conspirators.
As per the complaint, a team led by Mysuru Lokayukta Inspector A. Ravikumar had gathered around 1,000 pages of evidence in the case. A request for a search warrant was submitted by the former Lokayukta SP V.J. Sajeeth, but it was intentionally delayed by 28 days.
Intentional delay, search warrant
“This delay of 28 days was intentionally caused by the Karnataka Lokayukta to facilitate the wrong-doers to tamper and destroy or remove incriminating evidence and documents,” Gangaraju stated in his complaint. In the meantime, Minister Byrathi Suresh allegedly sent officials to retrieve critical documents related to the scam, he alleged.
Sajeeth, who was transferred from Mysuru on July 4, withdrew the search warrant the next day. Gangaraju claims that several officials are actively involved in covering up the scam, which could hinder an impartial investigation.
Senior IAS Officer Venkatachalapathy, along with other officials, visited Mysore and seized approximately 140 files related to the illegal allotment of MUDA sites under the controversial 50:50 ratio scheme. The files were locked in a room and were later shifted to Bengaluru, he alleged.
This incident was widely reported by major newspapers the following day, Gangaraju stated inhis complaint.
Activist Gangaraju alleged that the subsequent issuance of a search warrant was merely a formality to legitimise the Lokayukta’s own illegal actions. He further claimed that, although the search warrant was issued, it came with explicit instructions to delay the search until further orders were received from the Karnataka Lokayukta head office in Bengaluru. Later, the search warrant was withdrawn, he stated.
The missing documents are crucial to the investigation, and without them, the Justice P.N. Desai One-Man Commission, which is probing the scam from Kumarakrupa Guest House in Bengaluru, faces challenges, Gangaraju said.
Preparation to issue notices
Meanwhile, sources revealed that Mysuru Lokayukta SP T.J. Udesh is preparing to issue notices to Accused-1, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Accused-2, his wife B.M. Parvathi, summoning them for questioning within the next week. Lokayukta officials have already interrogated two other accused in the case, Mallikarjunaswamy (A-3) and Devaraju (A-4). The MUDA 50:50 land allotment scam has now reached a critical juncture, with key documents mysteriously missing and prominent figures under intense scrutiny. This sets the stage for a high-stakes legal and political showdown.
This post was published on October 15, 2024 6:45 pm