MUDA case: Relief for CM Siddaramaiah as Bengaluru court accepts Lokayukta closure report

A special court in Bengaluru on Wednesday accepted the closure report filed by the Karnataka Lokayukta police in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case with respect to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife and two other accused in the case..Special Judge for MP and MLA cases Santosh Gajanan Bhat passed the order after the case was called out in open court. The court accepted the closure report filed by the investigating officer, saying there was not enough evidence to prove corruption against four of the accused - Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and landowner J Devaraj..While accepting the closure report (B report) in respect of the four accused, the Court clarified that the investigation against other accused individuals in the case would continue. The investigating officer was directed to complete the probe and submit a final report upon completion of further investigation..The Court also rejected an application filed by the complainant seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the investigating officer.Regarding the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) role, the Court stated that the ED can participate in the case as an affected party but only in a limited manner..The MUDA case arises from allegations that Siddaramaiah misused his official position to enable irregular allotment of certain land to his wife, BM Parvathi.The controversy began after activist Snehamayi Krishnan filed a complaint alleging irregularities in the allotment of land, claiming that the standard procedures were not followed in granting the compensation sites.In September 2024, the Karnataka Governor approved prosecution against Siddaramaiah.Following this, a special court directed the Karnataka Lokayukta police to file an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, her brother Mallikarjun Swamy, and landowner J Devaraj under various criminal laws, including the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code..The Lokayukta police investigated the case and in February 2025, submitted a closure report (B report) to the court. The report was kept on hold to allow further investigation into other alleged irregularities in MUDA allotments.The Court today accepted the closure report and directed its registry to return the CD files and the draft final report, which had been kept in sealed cover, to the investigating officer after proper verification. The complainant was present in person, while the Special Public Prosecutor representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Karnataka Lokayukta also appeared before the court.The case will be heard next on February 9 when the final report for the remaining accused would be filed..Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.