A special court in Bengaluru has accepted the closure report submitted by the Karnataka Lokayukta police, which cleared Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of bribery allegations. The complaint, filed by state BJP leader NR Ramesh, accused Siddaramaiah of accepting a Rs 1.3 crore bribe in exchange for appointing L Vivekananda as a steward and committee member at the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC).
In its ruling dated January 18, the court stated that while records indicated Siddaramaiah had received Rs 1.3 crore from Vivekananda, the transaction could not be classified as quid pro quo. The court noted that the amount was declared as a loan by Siddaramaiah in his election affidavit and that there was no evidence to suggest corruption or illegal gratification. Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat accepted the closure report, saying that the complainant had failed to establish a case with “sufficient grounds” to reject such a report.
The issue dates back to November 2022, when NR Ramesh filed a private complaint alleging that Siddaramaiah accepted the Rs 1.3 crore bribe from his friend Vivekananda in 2015 to secure the BTC appointment. After initially submitting a closure report in 2023, the Lokayukta police were directed by the court to reopen the investigation following objections from Ramesh.
In its fresh probe, the Lokayukta police said that there was no evidence of wrongdoing. Vivekananda had previously served as a steward at the Mysore Turf Club (1998–1999) and BTC (2003–2004), which indicated his eligibility for the honorary position. The court noted that his prior experience negated claims of arbitrariness in his nomination.
The court noted that mere acceptance of a loan, even between friends, did not constitute bribery unless evidence of undue advantage or coercion was established. It also noted that Vivekananda had declared the Rs 1.3 crore loan in his income tax filings.
The court concluded, "Since he had every eligibility to be nominated to the post of stewardship and also for the reason that it was an honorary post through which no illegal gratification or gain could have been achieved, it is not a case to attract the rigours of Sec. 7, 8, or 13 of the PC (Prevention of Corruption) Act.”
The court accepted the closure report filed on September 12, 2024, clearing Siddaramaiah and Vivekananda of all charges.