'Fantastic order': RTI activist welcomes Karnataka HC's decision to quash Siddaramaiah's plea

Bengaluru, Sep 24 (IANS) Senior advocate and RTI activist T.J. Abraham welcomed the Karnataka High Court's decision on Tuesday to quash the writ petition filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, which questioned the prosecution order issued by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.

A bench led by Justice M. Nagaprasanna upheld the Governor's decision to authorise a probe into Abraham's complaint.

Reacting to the verdict, a satisfied Abraham said that it was a "fantastic order."

"In accordance with law, whatever was required to be taken care of... The order, in brief, is a simple summary. Once expanded, it will contain everything needed. I'm sure the judge has delved deeply into various judgments across the country to reach this conclusion. It's a fantastic order, and we were prepared for it," the RTI activist stated.

Abraham's lawyer, Rangnath Reddy, elaborating on the verdict, said: "Firstly, the honourable Chief Minister's petition has been dismissed. The learned Single Judge has confirmed that the approval sought under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act by T.J. Abraham is lawful, and the approval granted by the Governor is upheld."

"Secondly, the facts presented in the complaint clearly warrant investigation. Thirdly, any private citizen can seek approval under Section 17A from the competent authority," he added, emphasising that all contentions raised by the petitioners had been thoroughly examined by the court.

This ruling paves the way for legal proceedings, such as the filing of an FIR against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, potentially increasing pressure on him to resign.

Meanwhile, the Siddaramaiah camp is planning to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court's order.

After the HC's verdict, Siddaramaiah released an official statement saying, "I have come to know about the High Court's order through the media. I will respond after obtaining a copy and reading it. The court has completely rejected the prosecution sanctioned by the Governor under Section 218."

He also assured that he would not shy away from any investigation in the MUDA case, expressing hope that the High Court's order would be overturned in the days to come.

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