The Lokayukta Police have registered an FIR against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case, as reported by PTI. This action follows a recent directive from a special court in Bengaluru, ordering an investigation into allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites, valued at ₹56 crore, to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, by MUDA.

A special court, designated to handle criminal cases involving former and current MPs/MLAs, issued an order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to investigate a complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna. The complaint pertains to alleged irregularities in the allotment of MUDA sites, prompting the court to call for a thorough probe into the matter.

The order followed a decision by the Karnataka High Court, which upheld Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s sanction to investigate Siddaramaiah in the case. On September 24, Justice M. Nagaprasanna of the High Court ruled that while a governor typically acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers under Article 163 of the Constitution, exceptional circumstances allow the governor to make independent decisions. The court deemed this case to be one such exception and subsequently dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition challenging the investigation.

Despite the ongoing investigation, Siddaramaiah remained unfazed, reiterating on Friday that he would not step down as Chief Minister. He maintained his stance, dismissing calls for his resignation amid the allegations.

“I have done no wrong. This is for the first time a political case has bein registered against me. This is a political case, please underline,” PTI quoted the Congress veteran as saying.

On being asked about the BJP’s protest demanding his resignation, Siddaramaiah said, “Why should I resign? If one has committed wrong, he has to resign, when we are saying that no wrong was done, where is the question of resigning?”

Amid the controversy surrounding the MUDA case, the Karnataka government on Thursday revoked the general consent previously granted to the CBI to investigate cases in the state, accusing the federal agency of bias. In response, the BJP criticised the Congress government, calling the move a reaction typical of a “professional thief and corrupt party.”

“Thousands of crores have been usurped in the MUDA scam. After this, Congress has done what is expected from any certified ‘chor and lootera’ (thief and robber). To evade the long hand of law, it has withdrawn the general consent given to the CBI to investigate in the state,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.