A view of the High Court of Karnataka building
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The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday extended till January 28, 2025, the time for the Lokayukta police to submit the final report of investigation before the jurisdictional court against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in the case of alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites to his wife, Parvathi, by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
The court passed the order on a petition filed by Snehamayi Krishna, who has sought direction to transfer the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, in his order, said the proceedings on the petition seeking transfer to the CBI could not be allowed to be frustrated by allowing the continuation of the proceedings before the Special Court of Sessions for criminal cases against former and present MPs and MLAs, which had asked the Lokayukta police to submit the final investigation report by December 24, 2024..
“This court would not permit a sessions court to secure the probe report from the Lokayukta and pass any order upon the receipt of the probe report as it would frustrate the proceedings before this court,” the High Court said.
Parvathi’s objection
Earlier, the court indicated that it would stay the Lokayukta police investigation till the petition is adjudicated. However, Senior Advocate Ravivarma Kumar, appearing for Ms. Parvathi, objected to staying the investigation by asking what is the need for interjecting the investigation process when the petitioner has not asked for staying the probe by the Lokayukta.
Mr. Kumar, opposing the staying of the investigation by the Lokayukta police, contended that the court had passed the order for further hearing even when the notice, issued on November 5, was not served on Ms. Parvathi.
Meanwhile, the court expressed shock over the time taken — 35 days — to serve the court’s notice, issued on November 5, to the opposite building (Vidhana Soudha), which was the address of Mr. Siddaramaiah provided in the petition.
Further hearing on the petition was adjourned till January 15, 2025.
After the High Court on September 24 upheld the permission granted by the Governor of Karnataka for conducting a probe against Mr. Siddaramaiah and others in the alleged MUDA illegalities, the Special Court, acting on Mr. Krishna’s complaint, on September 25 directed the Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta Police, Mysusu, to conduct the investigation against the accused persons and submit the final report on December 24.
Published – December 19, 2024 08:09 pm IST
