MUDA case: HC to pronounce orders on CM Siddaramaiah’s plea against Governor’s sanction today

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 24 (ANI): The Karnataka High Court is lkely to pronounce on Tuesday (Today) its verdict on the petition filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah challenging the approval given by Governor Taawarchand Gehlot for conducting investigation against him in the alleged illegalities in Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) allotting sites to his wife.
Justice M Nagaprasanna had reserved the judgment on September 12. The judge will pronounce his verdict at 12 pm today.
While many senior lawyers including Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued for Siddaramaiah, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued for Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot. Also, advocates for the complainants Snehamai Krishna and TJ Abraham also presented their arguments.
It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife in the prime location of Mysuru city.
The High Court, in its interim order passed on August 19, had granted a temporary relief to Siddaramaiah by directing a special court in Bengaluru to defer further proceedings and not to take any precipitative action pursuant to the sanction granted by the Governor.
On August 31, the office of the Karantaka Governor told the high court in the state that the sanction granted to prosecute Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam was done after "application of mind."
In August, amid the row over Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot granting permission for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state ministers and
In August, Karnataka ministers and Congress legislators conducted a 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' protest against Governor Gehlot's granting of permission for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The Congress has accused the Governor of discriminatory behavior alleging that several other cases are also pending before the Governor, but he has not made any decisions on them.
Meanwhile, Governor Gehlot last week wrote to the state's Chief Secretary, Shalini Rajneesh, over the alleged MUDA scam and demanded a detailed report along with documents at the earliest.
The letter mentioned that P.S. Nataraj, Mysuru, has submitted a detailed representation dated August 27, wherein he has informed that the Mysuru Urban Development Authority has undertaken works worth Rs. 387 crores in violation of sections 15 and 25 of the Karnataka Urban Development Authority Act, 1987, on the oral instruction of the Chief Minister in his constituency, Varuna and also in Srirangapattana constituency.
"The petitioner has also informed that, in spite of the non-availability of funds in the authority, a decision has been taken on the oral instruction of the Chief Minister. Further, he alleged that by doing this, the authority has misused its power and requested to conduct an inquiry from CBI. Since the allegation is serious in nature, it is directed to look into the matter and submit the detailed report along with documents at the earliest," the governor said. (ANI)