Bengaluru, Sep 18 (PTI) A Special Court for MPs and MLAs here on Friday directed the Karnataka Lokayukta police to make submissions on a private complaint against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in connection with the allegations of corruption and misuse of public office involving the Siddartha Vihar Trust.
Kharge, his son and Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge and his relatives are trustees of Siddartha Vihar Trust.
The Additional City Civil and Sessions Court passed the direction after noting that the complainant, Vijayraghava Marathe, had cured a defect in his affidavit and that there was no impediment to proceeding with the matter.
The court noted that the Karnataka High Court, in its August 18 order had set aside its earlier direction for an inquiry under Section 223 of the BNSS and remitted the matter for proceedings under Section 175, while observing that the defect in the affidavit was curable and providing an opportunity to rectify it.
The complainant submitted the affidavit on September 10 and furnished a copy of the High Court order, the court said.
It also noted that its August 11 order had prima facie found the alleged illegalities narrated in the complaint.
The court has issued notice to the Lokayukta SP and directed that the submissions be made by October 6, when the matter will next come up.
The case arose from a private complaint filed by Marathe, president of Lanchamukta Karnataka Vedike, alleging large-scale irregularities in the allotment of civic amenity sites by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to Siddartha Vihar Trust. The complaint sought investigation under Section 175(3) of the BNSS.
According to the complaint as recorded in the sessions court order, the Trust was originally constituted in 1994 with Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha, among its five trustees.
A supplementary trust deed in 2010 added Radhabai M Kharge, his two sons Rahul Kharge and Priyank Kharge as trustees.
The complaint alleged that the Trust, despite having objectives extending to the public irrespective of caste, creed or religion, applied for a BDA civic amenity site under the Scheduled Caste category.
It further alleged that the Trust obtained a 50 per cent concession in lease amount and subsequently an alternative site, with the complainant alleging misuse of influence and connivance with BDA officials. PTI GMS GMS KH
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