Judicial panel clears Siddaramaiah and wife in Muda case | Bengaluru News

BENGALURU: A government-appointed judicial committee has exonerated Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his wife BM Parvathi in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda) scam, after opposition BJP claimed irregularities and a loss of around Rs 4,000 crore to the exchequer through fraudulent land allotments. The one-member panel headed by retired high court judge Justice PN Desai submitted its six-volume report to chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh, nearly a year after it was formed.A senior MLA familiar with the report’s contents said Thursday the panel found no illegality in the allotment of 14 alternative sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife in exchange for 3 acres acquired by Muda in Kesare village of Mysuru. The panel rejected allegations of misuse of office and ruled out any involvement of the CM in wider allotment irregularities. The findings mark a relief for Siddaramaiah, who already secured legal reprieve in July when Supreme Court dismissed a special leave petition filed by ED. The agency had challenged a Karnataka HC order quashing its notice to Parvathi and cabinet minister Byrathi Suresh. Earlier this year, Karnataka Lokayukta had cleared Siddaramaiah of wrongdoing.