Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is facing fresh allegations of acquiring benami properties, with Right to Information Act (RTI) activist Snehamayi Krishna filing another complaint against him and his family with the Lokayukta.
Krishna has accused Siddaramaiah of acquiring properties under benami names, alleging that the Chief Minister has already transferred 3.16 gunta of land (0.079 acre) in Kesare village under the guise of “Arishina-Kumkuma” (a customary offering).
He further claims that an additional acre of land has now been donated by Mallikarjuna Swamy, Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law, raising concerns over the source and intent behind these transactions.
The activist has questioned why only the lands purchased by Mallikarjuna Swamy are being donated and why Siddaramaiah has remained silent on the matter. He has also demanded an investigation into the total assets owned by Parvathi’s family and the properties acquired by Mallikarjuna Swamy.
The controversy traces back to 1983 when an acre of land was purchased under Alanahalli Survey No. 113/4. In 1996, the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) issued a final notification for the land, but it was later de-notified. Krishna alleges that this de-notification was influenced by Siddaramaiah. The same land was later donated to Parvathi in October 2010, who then transferred it to Siddaramaiah’s son, Yathindra, within a month. Just four months later, Yathindra reportedly sold the land to a third party.
Krishna has questioned why Siddaramaiah has never publicly disclosed these transactions and has alleged that the Chief Minister has been amassing benami properties in Mallikarjuna Swamy’s name. The activist has now urged the Lokayukta to investigate the matter and warned that if authorities delay action, legal proceedings will follow.