Karnataka: Lokayukta police survey land in lieu of which CM's wife allotted 14 sites

Mysuru, Oct 1 (PTI) A team of Lokayukta police probing MUDA site allotment case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others on Tuesday surveyed the land, in lieu of which 14 sites were "illegally" allotted to his wife Parvathi B M.

The Lokayukta team was joined by the special land acquisition officer, surveyors and town planning members from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), and they surveyed the land and took notes, official sources said.

Social activist Snehamayi Krishna on whose complaint the Lokayukta police has registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife and two others, was also present, they said.

Krishna today appeared before the Lokayukta police here, following the notice issued to him by the investigating officers.

Meanwhile, Parvathi's letter conveying her a decision to relinquish the ownership and possession of 14 plots, was personally submitted to MUDA Commissioner A N Raghunandan's office by her son and MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, earlier today.

"The letter received will be processed after going through the provisions in the law," a MUDA official said.

Hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) booked Siddaramaiah in a money laundering case, his wife on Monday wrote to MUDA conveying her decision to relinquish the ownership and possession of 14 plots stating that no site, home, asset and wealth is bigger for her than her husband’s respect, dignity, honour and peace of mind.

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that 14 compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru (Vijayanagar Layout 3rd and 4th stages), which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.

Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.

It is alleged that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.

On Monday, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR by police, against the Chief Minister over the alleged irregularities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA.

On September 27, Lokayukta police registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others, following a Special Court order.

The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah.

In a statement last night, Siddaramaiah's wife, who is rarely seen in public, said her husband has an unblemished record in his 40 years long political life and has followed morality as a pious observance in his life, and that she too has led a life by sticking to a decision of not causing any embarrassment to him, and has always stayed away from public life, including politics.

Claiming that she never desired for house, property, gold, assets, and has always conducted herself in a way that no blemish is caused to her husband's political life, she said she always enjoyed with happiness and felt proud -- looking at from the distance -- the blessings and affection shown towards her husband by the people.

Expressing "hurt" from the allegations that her husband had to face, Parvathi further said, "I never imagined that the sites I received in lieu of land gifted to me by my brother, would lead to such a ruckus, and that it would result in my husband having to face allegations unfairly." "No site, home, asset and wealth is bigger for me than my husband’s respect, dignity, honour and peace of mind. As someone who has never expected anything from my husband for myself or my family, these sites mean nothing to me," she added.

Parvathi said, she did not consult her husband, son or any family member, and that she took the decision to return the sites "conscientiously”.

“I decided to do this the day the allegations surfaced, but I gave up on my decision heeding to the advice from well-wishers that we must fight the allegations made out of political malice, we should fight against injustice and should not fall for conspiracy," she said.

While offering to return the plots, Parvathi called for a thorough probe into all allegations in the MUDA case.

She also requested political party leaders and media not to pull women from political families, who are away from politics, for their political vendetta, and not to harm their dignity and respect. PTI