BENGALURU: While dismissing applications filed by accused persons seeking quashing of charge sheet filed by sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against them with regard of irregularities in the allotment of stray sites by Mandya Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru city B. Jayanatha Kumar pronounced that there are sufficient grounds to frame charges against accused persons which prominently include former minister and Janata Dal Secular (JDS) MLA C.S. Puttaraju, Mandya JDS MLA M. Srinivas and former JDS MLA Ramesh Banddisiddegowda and others.
The Court said that the offences are punishable under sections 409 and 420 of Indian Penal Code and under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The applications filed by accused persons under section 227 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) were dismissed, said the Judge stating the sufficient grounds to frame the charges against them. The order was passed by the Court on January 17 this year.
In 2013, a case was registered in Mandya West Police Station alleging irregularities in the allotment of sites based on the complaint lodged by then Commissioner of MUDA K. Mathai. Later the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation for investigation.
Prominently, the allegations against Melukote JDS MLA C.S. Puttaraju, M. Srinivas, Mandya JDS MLA and Ramesh Banddisidegowda, who was the JDS MLA representing Srirangapatna Assembly seat then. Ramesh Banddisiddegowda is now in the Congress party. The accused persons concealed their marital status in the MUDA application to get sites.
The then MUDA Commissioner D. Upendra Nayak, accused 1 in the case between June 25, 2009 to December 31, 2010 in collusion with accused persons allotted sites in the layout VivekanandaNagar in Mandya city, not only to themselves but also to their kith and kin in violation of the allotment rules, thereby made unlawful gains for themselves and caused wrongful loss to the eligible public.
The case will come up again in the Court on January 30 this month.
