MUDA case: Lokayukta seeks time; special court adjourns hearing against CM's closure note to May 29

Bengaluru, May 7 (IANS) The Special Court for MLAs and MPs on Wednesday adjourned the hearing on the petition challenging the closure report against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case to May 29.

The adjournment followed a request by the Karnataka Lokayukta seeking more time to submit the final report in the case.

Earlier, on April 15, the Special Court had stated that a decision on the closure report against CM Siddaramaiah would be taken only after the completion of the Lokayukta probe.

Meanwhile, petitioner Snehamayi Krishna submitted a plea before the court under Section 200 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), alleging that the investigators were deliberately delaying the submission of the final report in the MUDA case.

“I suspect that the evidence may be tampered with or destroyed. Therefore, I request the court to consider the submitted report as final, take cognisance of the objections and documents provided by me, allow me to present my arguments, and issue appropriate orders,” he stated.

He further submitted in his petition that there was little likelihood of the Lokayukta police filing a report against accused number one, CM Siddaramaiah, and others who have already been given a clean chit in the interim report.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered its objection to the closure report in the MUDA case involving CM Siddaramaiah, his wife and others.

The court earlier stated that the Lokayukta has not completed the probe. The court further directed the Lokayukta to submit its final report after completing the investigation on May 7.

"On one hand, the Lokayukta has filed a closure report, while on the other hand, it states that the probe has to be continued. Hence, let the investigation be completed," the court had said.

"It is appropriate to consider the objection plea once the investigation is completed," the court stated.

The court further ruled that the ED can file an objection plea in the case challenging the Lokayukta investigation. The counsel for the Lokayukta had maintained that the ED cannot be an aggrieved party in the case.

--IANS

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