A recent report by a one-man judicial commission headed by Justice P.N. Desai has cleared Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family in the MUDA land case. However, the report is not entirely a clean chit — it blames government officials for irregularities and recommends action against them.
The report points out that officials managing the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) between 2020 and 2024 illegally and arbitrarily allotted land sites. It says many site allocations went against the rules set by the KUDA Act and the 1991 land rules. The commission suspects a scam in how some alternative sites were given, with reasons that don’t hold up legally.
After the announcement by Law Minister H.K. Patil, the Karnataka government confirmed they accepted the report. The minister also shared that the commission’s findings clarify there’s no evidence linking Chief Minister Siddaramaiah or his family to any illegal activities in the MUDA case.
Siddaramaiah has been named as the main accused, along with his wife Parvati and brother-in-law Mallikarjunaswamy. The land owner, J. Devaraju, is also involved. Earlier, the Karnataka Lokayukta had closed the case, citing insufficient proof against them. Still, investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other agencies continue, with some activists calling for a deeper probe.
The MUDA land scam revolves around the illegal allotment of 14 land sites linked to Siddaramaiah’s family. The controversy mainly concerns whether these land deals broke the law or not. The case has been filed in courts, with petitions both demanding a CBI investigation and efforts by the Chief Minister to dismiss the proceedings.
Regarding the land deals, the report states that certain compensation land arrangements were handled correctly under existing rules. It explains that MUDA did not claim ownership of de-notified lands and that the land allotments—done in 2017 and 2022—were based on accepted procedures. The commission concluded that the site allotments as compensation were lawful since MUDA lacked legal title over some lands involved.
This case remains a big talking point in Karnataka politics, as questions about land dealings and government transparency continue. The report’s findings aim to shed light on the roles of officials and clarify misconceptions about Siddaramaiah’s involvement.
