Land grab: FIR against Siddaramaiah and three others

The Lakshmipuram Police on Saturday registered an FIR against former chief minister Siddaramaiah and three others in connection with a land grabbing case.

The police registered the FIR, following the direction from Principal Senior Civil Judge to register cases under the IPC Sections 120B, 197, 166, 167, 169, 200, 417, 409, 420 and 468 in the land grab case against Siddaramaiah, Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) former chairman C Basavegowda, present chairman D Dhruvakumar and MUDA commissioner P S Kantaraju.

The court has directed the police to reigster an FIR based on an application submitted by advocate N Gangaraju to the Governor in May 2018, seeking permission for prosecution of Siddaramaiah. The Governor’s office cleared it saying permission is not required for prosecution.

City Improvement Trust Board (CITB), the earlier form of MUDA, had acquired 535 acres under Hinkal Gram Panchayat to develop a layout in Vijayanagar II Stage in 1981. In 1997, after the completion of the site distribution process, then GP president Papanna, his relatives Sakamma, Annaiah and Sunanda had applied to the MUDA to de-notify 30 guntas of the land, which was acquired from them. Accordingly, MUDA de-notified the land. The process was completed within 20 days, when Basavegowda was serving as MUDA chairman.

Later, Siddaramaiah, when he was deputy chief minister in the J H Patel government, purchased 10 guntas of the land belonging to Annaiah and constructed a house on land measuring 120X75 ft in dimension. The MUDA issued a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) and also approved the house plan. In 2013, Siddaramaiah sold the house.

In December 2017, Krishna, son of Annaiah, applied to the MUDA for a 60X 40 site as an alternative for his land. The MUDA approved a site illegally, even though his land, then owned by his father, had been de-notified. Thus the court directed filing of a case against Dhruvakumar and commissioner Kantharaju too.