BENGALURU: The Karnataka high court Monday asked a special court hearing private complaints against CM Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda) site allotment controversy, to defer its proceedings and not to take any precipitative action till the next date of hearing on August 29.
Justice M Nagaprasanna passed this interim order after the court was told that the trial court is scheduled to pass orders on the private complaints lodged against the CM on Aug 20.The judge was hearing a writ petition filed by the CM challenging the legality of the order of the governor granting sanction to prosecute him in the alleged land scam. “Since the matter is being heard by this court and the pleadings are yet to be completed, the court concerned shall defer its proceedings and not precipitate the matter till the next date of hearing,” the judge observed.
Appearing for Siddaramaiah, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi submitted that though the governor is bound by the advice of the cabinet, he not only ignored the cabinet’s advice in this case but also passed a two-page order according sanction.
Describing the sanction as laconic, unreasoned, and issued without application of mind, Singhvi further claimed that though there were 12 similar applications seeking sanction pending with the governor from a few months to three years, no decision was taken on them.
Singhvi further submitted that the ‘friendly governor’ plucked the application filed by his blue-eyed boy TJ Abraham the same day it was submitted and issued a show-cause notice to the petitioner on July 26, 2024. Even though the CM was not notified regarding the other two applicants (Snehamayi Krishna and Pradeep Kumar), the sanction order had their names, he added. He added that if sanctions are accorded like this, there is no need for Article 356 of the Constitution (used for imposing President’s rule) to destabilise governments.