Bengaluru activist who filed plea against CM Siddaramaiah in Muda case arrested

Snehamayi Krishna, the activist who fought a case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) land allotment case, has been arrested by the Bangalore Crime Branch. The arrest marks a fresh turn in a controversy that had earlier seen the chief minister and his family receive a clean chit from both a special court and an independent commission. The precise grounds for Krishna’s arrest were not immediately known.

Krishna had emerged as a key complainant in the Muda land allotment row, accusing Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M, and certain associates of irregularities in the allocation of residential sites in Mysuru.

His central allegation concerned the allotment of compensatory plots to Parvathi in exchange for a disputed parcel of land in Kesare village.

He questioned the legitimacy of the original land title and claimed that the compensatory allotment caused financial loss to the state exchequer.

The complaints triggered multiple legal proceedings and investigations. In January, a special court dismissed Krishna’s plea challenging the Lokayukta’s closure report and seeking further prosecution.

The court upheld the Lokayukta’s findings that there was insufficient evidence to proceed against Siddaramaiah and others, effectively closing the case at that stage.

Separately, a commission headed by retired judge PN Desai examined the allotments and concluded that the grant of compensatory sites could not be deemed illegal based on the material reviewed between 2020 and 2024.

The commission recommended action only against certain officials found responsible for procedural irregularities. The Karnataka cabinet subsequently accepted the report.

Despite these findings, Krishna continued to pursue the matter. He approached the 81st Additional City Civil and Sessions Court, seeking an independent investigation into alleged bribery involving Lokayukta officials who handled the Muda case.

Krishna’s arrest now adds another dimension to the long-running Muda controversy.

While Siddaramaiah and his family have secured relief from both judicial and commission inquiries, the activist’s latest allegations remain pending before the court.

With cabinet discussions on related reports still underway and legal proceedings continuing, the case remains politically and legally sensitive in Karnataka.

- Ends