A Bengaluru special court has directed the Karnataka Lokayukta to file a response regarding allegations involving the Siddartha Vihar Trust. The case centers on claims of irregularities in a land allotment by the Bangalore Development Authority.
A special court designated for MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru has ordered the Karnataka Lokayukta to submit a response regarding a private complaint filed against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his son, Priyank Kharge. The legal proceedings relate to the Siddartha Vihar Trust and center on allegations of corruption and the misuse of public office. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 6, directing the Lokayukta Superintendent of Police to provide a formal submission by that date.
The complaint was filed by Vijayraghava Marathe, president of the Lanchamukta Karnataka Vedike. The petition alleges systemic irregularities in how the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) allocated civic amenity sites. According to court filings, the core of the dispute involves the Siddartha Vihar Trust, which was founded in 1994. The complainant claims that the trust, while established for public service, improperly secured a civic amenity site under the Scheduled Caste category. The petition further alleges that the trust received a 50% concession on the lease amount and later acquired an alternative site, suggesting potential collusion with BDA officials and an abuse of political influence.
This judicial scrutiny follows a procedural correction mandated by the Karnataka High Court. In an order dated August 18, the High Court set aside a previous directive for an inquiry under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The High Court instructed the lower court to proceed instead under Section 175 of the same act, noting that while there was a technical defect in the complainant's affidavit, it was a rectifiable issue. Following the submission of the corrected affidavit by the complainant on September 10, the sessions court resumed the matter. The court noted that it had previously found prima facie evidence of the alleged illegalities mentioned in the initial filing. The ongoing investigation is focused on determining whether standard allocation protocols were bypassed and if undue influence was exerted in the process.
For those tracking the functioning of public authorities, this matter highlights the scrutiny surrounding land allotments and administrative processes within the Bangalore Development Authority. Governance standards and the transparency of government land leases are significant factors in public administration, and judicial updates regarding such matters are closely followed by observers of the regulatory and legal environment in Karnataka.