Karnataka Court Clears Siddaramaiah in Bribery Case

A special court has accepted the closure report by the Karnataka Lokayukta police in a bribery case involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Allegations were made by a BJP leader accusing Siddaramaiah of receiving Rs 1.3 crore for appointing a steward at Bengaluru Turf Club. The court found no quid pro quo.

A Karnataka special court has ruled in favor of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accepting the closure report filed by the Lokayukta police in a high-profile bribery case. The allegations originally stemmed from accusations leveled by a BJP leader, who claimed Siddaramaiah received Rs 1.3 crore during his previous term as Chief Minister.

This sum was allegedly exchanged for the appointment of a steward at the Bengaluru Turf Club (BTC), as noted in the case files. Despite records indicating that Accused No.1, Mr. Siddaramaiah, received funds from Accused No.2, L Vivekananda, the court found no conclusive evidence of a quid pro quo arrangement.

The court order highlighted the closure report, initially challenged and later resubmitted by the Lokayukta police, ultimately determining that the bribery allegations lacked sufficient grounds for a criminal trial. The court's decision marks a resolution in this chapter of Karnataka's ongoing political dynamics.

(With inputs from agencies.)