Bengaluru:Reacting to the Karnataka High Court order dismissing his petition in the site allotment case, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that he would consult legal experts to seek advice whether such a probe would be allowed under law. He said that he believed in the Constitution and that he would not hesitate to face any investigation in the case. He asserted that he would continue his fight against the politics of vengeance by the JD(S) and the BJP. The truth will ultimately prevail in this case, he said.
Earlier today, the High Court dismissed CM Siddaramaih's petition challenging the Governor's approval for an investigation against him in the site allotment case, which was seen as a setback for him. The HC issued the order after the Chief Minister had challenged the approval given by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for an investigation against him in the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in a prime locality.
After completing the hearings on the petition in six sittings from August 19, the single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna on September 12 reserved its verdict. It had also extended its August 19 interim order directing the special court for people's representatives that was slated to hear complaints against him in the case, to defer its proceedings till the disposal of the petition.
"The facts narrated in the petition would undoubtedly require investigation, in the teeth of the fact that the beneficiary of all these acts is not anybody outside but the family of the petitioner. The petition stands dismissed," Justice Nagaprasanna ruled.
He said, "interim order of any kind subsisting today shall stand dissolved." The Governor on August 16 accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions submitted to him by complainants Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved the High Court challenging the legality of the Governor's order. In the petition, the Chief Minister submitted that the sanction order was issued without due application of mind, in violation of statutory mandates, and contrary to constitutional principles, including the advice of the Council of Ministers, which is binding under Article 163 of the Constitution of India.