Mysuru: S. Palaiah, a retired IAS officer and current revenue member of the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Special Court, was questioned by Lokayukta sleuths for the second time on Wednesday in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Muda scam. Palaiah, who also served as the former commissioner of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), was questioned for his alleged role in the controversial 50:50 site scheme.
The investigation, which is being closely monitored by the Special Court handling cases against former and current legislators, also saw the presence of BM Mallikarjuna Swamy, the brother-in-law of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Swamy, who is an accused in the scam, visited the Lokayukta office earlier in the day to submit documents requested by the investigation team, including bank statements. Swamy had previously been questioned weeks earlier but returned on Tuesday to provide additional documents related to a land transaction in Kesare.
Palaiah, who was at the Lokayukta office from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., reportedly sought information about a letter written by Parvathi, Siddaramaiah’s wife, in 2014. The letter had requested compensation, and it was linked to the first transaction involving the controversial site scheme. The transaction is central to the allegations in the ongoing investigation. Sources revealed that Palaiah had not mentioned this letter during his earlier questioning by the Lokayukta team, which is headed by SP T.J. Udesha.
The investigation is under significant scrutiny, with the Lokayukta team required to submit a status report to the High Court by November 26. A final report must be presented to the Special Court by December 25. Deputy SP Mathew Thomas and Inspector Lokesh are assisting Udesha in the investigation. The Lokayukta’s inquiry continues to focus on potential corruption and land-grabbing activities linked to the Muda scam, with several prominent figures under investigation.
