MUDA files land in govt hand

OB Bureau

The judicial commission probing the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam submitted its final report to the state government, midweek.

The commission, headed by retired Karnataka High Court judge P.N. Desai, handed over the six-volume report to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, the Chief Minister’s Office confirmed.

Details of the findings are yet to be made public.

The commission was constituted by the Siddaramaiah-led government ahead of the monsoon session in July 2024 to investigate alleged irregularities involving land de-notifications, allotments, and encroachments.

The case centres around 3.16 acres of land owned by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, B.M. Parvathi, with both she and the CM named in complaints related to the alleged scam.

Opposition parties, primarily the BJP, have alleged that the allotments resulted in a loss of nearly Rs 4,000 crore to the exchequer, accusing the Chief Minister of abusing his office to secure 14 MUDA sites in his wife’s name through fraudulent documentation.

Siddaramaiah, however, has maintained that the allotments were made during the previous BJP regime. He had earlier claimed that his family never requested sites in premium localities and offered to return them.

“We are ready to return the sites. Let the government compensate us with Rs 62 crore instead,” he had said. Eventually, his wife returned all 14 sites to the MUDA.

The matter is also under scrutiny by multiple agencies. The Karnataka Lokayukta submitted a preliminary report to the court, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated a probe. Petitioner Snehamayi Krishna has approached the High Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

Last week, the Supreme Court dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the ED challenging a Karnataka High Court order that had quashed its notice to B.M. Parvathi and Minister Byrathi Suresh. The Chief Justice of India, B.R. Gavai, criticised the ED’s role in the matter, remarking: “Let political battles be fought in the electorate. Why are you allowing yourself to be used for this?”

The apex court upheld the High Court’s reasoning and refused to interfere. “We thank you, ASG, for helping us avoid making harsh comments,” the CJI bench stated.

Following the verdict, Siddaramaiah demanded a public apology from BJP and JD(S) leaders for what he described as baseless allegations.

Meanwhile, the BJP and JD(S) have announced a seven-day padyatra from Bangalore to Mysuru, starting August 4, to demand Siddaramaiah’s resignation over the alleged scam.

Fireworks ahead for Congress: Vijayendra

OB Bureau

Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra on Wednesday claimed that the ruling Congress is facing a “complete vertical split” among its MLAs and predicted a major shake-up by Diwali.

“There’s a deep divide within Congress legislators. Most of them want Chief Minister Siddaramaiah out. Let’s wait — the ‘Diwali dhamaka’ is coming,” Vijayendra said, alleging that the infighting, brewing for months, is now nearing a breaking point.

Pointing to signs of rift between Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, he cited the recent Mysuru convention where, according to him, Shivakumar was “left alone midway”. The BJP leader said disgruntled MLAs are losing faith in the CM’s leadership and are openly critical of him over “lack of development and broken promises”.

Vijayendra further claimed that Siddaramaiah had promised Rs 50 crore in development funds to each ruling MLA but has failed to deliver. “Even Opposition MLAs were promised Rs 25 crore, but no one has received anything,” he alleged.

He also took a swipe at the Congress infighting, saying, “The war between Russia and Ukraine might end, but the war within the Congress has only begun.”

The BJP leader said Congress MLAs are now split across camps — with some backing Shivakumar, others leaning towards AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and a few still behind Siddaramaiah. “The division is absolute,” he said.

Signs of strain between the CM and Dy CM have become increasingly visible. While Siddaramaiah has been holding one-on-one meetings with MLAs, Shivakumar — also KPCC president — has called parallel gatherings of legislators, fuelling buzz of a leadership tussle.

However, senior Congress leader and Home Minister G. Parameshwara played down the talk of a rift. “Shivakumar is free to meet MLAs. When I was party president (2013–2018), I too held meetings without inviting the CM or DyCM,” he said.

Congress has yet to officially respond to Vijayendra’s ‘Diwali dhamaka’ claim.

Trolled & threatened: Ramya hits back

OB Bureau

Actress and former MP Ramya has filed a formal complaint after being flooded with vulgar, threatening messages—including rape threats—from fans of actor Darshan, following her social media post on the ongoing fan murder case.

The backlash erupted after Ramya shared news about the Supreme Court reserving its verdict on Darshan’s bail plea. Darshan is the second accused in the brutal murder of his fan Renukaswamy, while his girlfriend Pavithra Gowda is named the prime accused.

Ramya, who approached city Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh on Monday, said she received obscene and misogynistic messages from at least 43 social media accounts, many of which also threatened her. “If this can happen to me, what about other women? This isn’t just trolling—it’s harassment,” she said, urging Darshan to rein in his followers.

The case has now been transferred to the Cyber Crime Wing. Ramya stated in her complaint that the messages were too disgusting to even quote.

Reacting to the incident Home Minister G. Parameshwara condemned the abuse and promised swift action. “This must stop. Today it’s Ramya—tomorrow it could be someone else. The city police will act. The State Women’s Commission has also flagged this, and I’ll ensure suitable steps are taken,” he said.

Ramya, who has starred in over 40 films and served as a Congress MP, said she spoke up not for politics but to uphold women’s freedom and safety online. “Women have the same rights as men. This is about justice,” she added.

The backlash against her has drawn sharp reactions from civil rights groups. The collective Film Industry for Rights and Equality (FIRE) submitted a letter to the Home Minister demanding crackdown on misogynistic online abuse. The State Women’s Commission has also urged police to act against those responsible.

As the fan murder case continues to grip Karnataka, this latest row exposes a dangerous new front: toxic fandom turning into online abuse—with real-world consequences.