Karnataka High Court to Decide on CM Siddaramaiah’s Petition Against Governor’s Investigation Approval
The Karnataka High Court is expected to announce its decision today on a petition filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The petition challenges the approval given by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot for an investigation into alleged illegal site allotments by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to Siddaramaiah’s wife.
Justice M Nagaprasanna had reserved the judgment on September 12 and will pronounce the verdict at 12 pm today. Senior lawyers, including Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued for Siddaramaiah, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented Governor Gehlot. Advocates for the complainants, Snehamai Krishna and TJ Abraham, also presented their arguments.
It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife in a prime location in Mysuru city. The High Court had granted temporary relief to Siddaramaiah on August 19 by directing a special court in Bengaluru to defer further proceedings and not take any precipitative action based on the Governor’s sanction.
On August 31, the Governor’s office informed the High Court that the sanction to prosecute Siddaramaiah was given after careful consideration. In August, Karnataka ministers and Congress legislators protested against the Governor’s decision, accusing him of discriminatory behavior.
Governor Gehlot recently wrote to the state’s Chief Secretary, Shalini Rajneesh, demanding a detailed report on the alleged MUDA scam. The letter mentioned that P.S. Nataraj from Mysuru had submitted a representation alleging that MUDA undertook works worth Rs. 387 crores in violation of the Karnataka Urban Development Authority Act, 1987, based on oral instructions from the Chief Minister.
Doubts Revealed
Karnataka High Court -: The Karnataka High Court is a big court in the state of Karnataka, India. It makes important decisions about laws and rules in the state.
CM Siddaramaiah -: CM Siddaramaiah is the Chief Minister of Karnataka. The Chief Minister is like the head of the state government, similar to how a principal is the head of a school.
Governor -: The Governor is a person appointed by the President of India to oversee a state. In this case, the Governor of Karnataka is Thawar Chand Gehlot.
Petition -: A petition is a formal request made to a court asking for a specific decision or action. Here, CM Siddaramaiah is asking the court to stop the investigation.
Investigation Approval -: Investigation approval means that the Governor has given permission for an investigation to take place. This investigation is about some land being given out in a way that might not be legal.
Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) -: MUDA is a government organization in Mysuru, Karnataka. It is responsible for planning and developing the city, including giving out land for building houses and other things.
Justice M Nagaprasanna -: Justice M Nagaprasanna is a judge in the Karnataka High Court. A judge is a person who makes decisions in court cases.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi -: Abhishek Manu Singhvi is a famous lawyer in India. He is representing CM Siddaramaiah in this case.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta -: Tushar Mehta is the Solicitor General of India. He is a top lawyer who represents the government in important cases.
