Bengaluru: In a major setback to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed his plea challenging the Governor’s nod to prosecute him in the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.
A single judge bench of Justice Nagaprassana observed that the complainants were justified in registering the complaint. The bench said the Governor did apply his mind in abundance and could therefore take an independent decision on calling for the chief minister’s prosecution.
The bench also stated that there was no fault in the Governor’s actions and the facts narrated needed investigation.
The court also dismissed a plea by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Chief Minister, to stay its order for two weeks. The judge said he could not stay his own order.
On August 16, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot allowed three private individuals to seek investigations against the chief minister over the allotment of 14 housing sites to his wife in Mysuru in 2021 during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s tenure.