MUDA case: Lokayukta police question Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law

The Lokayukta police probing the MUDA scam on Thursday questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and another accused J Devaraju, PTI reported.
According to the report, they were questioned for nearly seven hours, and they left around 8.30 pm.
The Lokayukta police registered a case on September 27 against Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju – from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to her – and others, following a Special Court order on September 25.
The order came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to investigate Siddaramaiah.
The ED has also registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to a police FIR, against the chief minister over the alleged irregularities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA.
The Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) on October 1 decided to take back the 14 plots allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife, following her decision to relinquish their ownership and possession.
(Also Read: Now, complaint filed against K’taka min in MUDA land fraud case)
Karnataka Ministers on Thursday at a Cabinet meeting expressed their solidarity with and support to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is facing demand from opposition parties for his resignation following charges in MUDA site allotment case.
The move comes amid behind-the-scenes political activities within the ruling Congress, with a few Ministers in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet recently holding closed door meetings, fueling speculation about leadership change.
“Even meeting Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is being represented wrongly by you media. Even if Ministers meet over food, it is also represented wrongly, in this backdrop during the cabinet today, all the ministers expressed their solidarity (with the CM) and support, stating that we are with him,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil told PTI on Thursday.
(Also Read: MUDA ‘scam’: Complaint against Karnataka Minister Byrathi Suresh for ‘shifting’ files, documents)
(With PTI inputs)