The Karnataka Lokayukta submitted its final investigative report on the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam to the Dharwad Bench of the Karnataka High Court on January 27, 2025. The 634-page document, prepared by the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the Lokayukta, includes audio-video recordings, forensic reports, and digital evidence tracing irregularities from 1994 to 2024.
Key accused in the case include Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (first accused), his wife BM Parvathi (second accused), her brother BM Mallikarjunaswamy, and original landowner J Devaraju. Their statements, recorded under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, form the backbone of the findings
Evidence Highlights Systemic Misconduct
The report details 14 sites in Vijayanagara and 3.16 acres in Kesare village allotted as “compensation” for land acquired by MUDA. Shockingly, Parvathi’s 3.24 lakh-rupee agricultural land allegedly fetched her 14 plots worth Rs 56 crore in prime locations—a 1,700x markup flagged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)
Evidence includes:
- Audio-video recordings of transactions.
- FSL reports and digital devices (hard disks, CDs).
- RTC records, land conversion papers, and ownership transfers 111.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna directed the Lokayukta to resume investigations and submit progress reports, stressing, “You must present everything collected from December 19, 2024, to date”
Opposition parties, including the BJP and JD(S), demanded Siddaramaiah’s resignation. BJP Leader R. Ashok alleged, “The Lokayukta is shielding the CM. Only a CBI probe will reveal the truth” 12. Activist Snehamayi Krishna, who filed the initial complaint, accused Lokayukta officials of collusion, stating, “We’ve provided enough documents to prove charges against Siddaramaiah”
Broader Implications and Public Outcry
The scam exposes decades of corruption involving former MUDA commissioners, engineers, and legislators. Parvathi’s return of the 14 sites in October 2024 failed to quell scrutiny, with the ED highlighting Rs 700 crore irregularities in land denotifications 39.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar dismissed the ED’s actions as “political witch hunts”, while Siddaramaiah accused the agency of overstepping its mandate
As the High Court reserves judgment, the MUDA scam underscores systemic rot in Karnataka’s governance. With the Lokayukta’s report now public and the ED widening its net, the political stakes have never been higher. “The truth will emerge only if the CBI takes over,” insists activist Krishna—a sentiment echoing across opposition ranks
