BENGALURU: The decision of BM Parvathi to surrender the 14 sites allotted to her by Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) amid an ongoing investigation by Lokayukta and Enforcement Directorate (ED) may help her chief minister husband Siddaramaiah partially from a legal point of view, but may not be enough from a political standpoint, experts and analysts say. The surrender the sites is reminiscent of a similar incident during Siddaramaiah’s first stint as CM. Under pressure after sporting a luxury Hublot watch which he purportedly received as a gift from a friend, Siddaramaiah successfully defused the row by handing it over to the assembly speaker.
The surrender of sites follows the same pattern. “It may provide the CM relief,” said Hidayathulla Kuv- enda, a high court advocate. “The case could weaken if there is no proof of direct benefit from proceeds of the alleged crime.
The case primarily concerns compensatory land which has been relinquished. Continuing the investigation may be futile. It may be more prudent to seek appropriate legal advice or directions from a court in the matter.
” Supreme Court advocate Brijesh Kalappa was of the view that the surrender is more a political manoeuvre than a legal necessity and is aimed at mitigating political damage rather than addressing legal vulnerability. “It is the truth that there is absolutely zero case for prosecution. The return of the sites is a political response to a political entanglement,” Kalappa said.
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