New Delhi: The Karnataka High Court on Monday granted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah interim relief in the alleged MUDA land scam case. The court directed the trial court to hold off on any action against the embattled Chief Minister, effectively halting the prosecution proceedings until August 29th when the case will be heard again.
The court’s decision came after Siddaramaiah challenged the Governor’s sanction for his prosecution, arguing it was “illegal” and a “concerted effort to destabilise the duly elected government.” He claimed the Governor’s hasty approval, granted within a day of receiving a complaint, was without proper consideration and aimed at harming his reputation and disrupting governance.
“Since the matter is heard by this court and pleadings are to be completed… till the next date of hearing the concerned court (the trial court) should defer its proceedings…” the High Court said.
During the hearing, Siddaramaiah’s lawyer, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, pointed out several discrepancies in the Governor’s order, including the discrepancy between the show-cause notice and the final order, suggesting a lack of due diligence. He argued that the Governor had ignored numerous pending complaints and chose to act solely on the complaint filed by activist TJ Abraham.
Singhvi also highlighted that the Governor had not provided sufficient justification for granting prosecution sanction, despite the cabinet’s detailed and reasoned order opposing it.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah maintained his innocence, stating that he had never misused power for personal gain in his four decades of public service. He expressed confidence in the judiciary’s ability to ensure a fair and just outcome.
The Governor’s decision to sanction the prosecution of the Chief Minister, following petitions by three activists, had sparked widespread controversy, with the BJP accusing Siddaramaiah of corruption and demanding his resignation.
