Land Scam Row: High Court Relief For Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: There was good news for embattled Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, at least for the time being.

The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the trial court against taking any immediate action against the CM after Governor Thawaar Chand Gehlot sanctioned the prosecution of Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA land scam case.

The interim relief will be in effect till August 29, when the High Court next hears the case.

Siddaramaiah moved the High Court against the Governor’s nod to prosecute him, claiming that Gehlot’s action was “illegal and without authority of law”, and allowing his prosecution posed “a grave and imminent risk of irreparable harm to his reputation and of disrupting governance… and potentially result in political destabilisation.”

The high court said since the matter is being heard by this court and pleadings have not been completed, it should defer proceedings till the next date of hearing of the concerned court (the trial court).

The high court noted that documents submitted by Siddaramaiah “referred to several points of order… to prima facie demonstrate that (the) order (granting sanction to prosecute) bears non-application of mind (by the Governor).”

The court also noted the Karnataka CM’s submission that the Governor had sanctioned prosecution at “breakneck” speed following filing of a complaint on July 26.