Karnataka: Governor's office defends sanction to prosecute CM Siddaramaiah in alleged land scam
The Congress party held a demonstration against alleged ‘selective actions’ by the governor in allowing prosecution.
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The sanction to prosecute Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority scam was granted after “elaborate application of mind”, the state governor’s office told the High Court on Saturday, reported Live Law.
The alleged scam pertains to the allotment of 14 high-value housing sites in Mysuru’s Vijaynagar area to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, in 2021 by the Mysore Urban Development Authority under a state government scheme.
This was allegedly done in exchange for 3.16 acres of land that Parvathi owned in another part of the city. This land was allegedly illegally acquired from Dalit families.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved the High Court challenging Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision to grant sanction to prosecute him for the alleged corruption.
Following this, the High Court directed a trial court not to take any action against the chief minister until the next date of hearing.
On Saturday, appearing for Gehlot, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that while determining if a case exists, the governor’s reasons need not be elaborate but must reflect the application of mind.
On the claims that natural justice was not complied with, Mehta said: “At the stage of [Section] 17A [of the Prevention of Corruption Act] there is no requirement of principles of natural justice. Non-issuance of notice even in...
