MUDA scam: Former commissioner G T Dinesh Kumar suspended

GT Dinesh Kumar, who was appointed as the registrar of Haveri University just three days ago, has been suspended. His appointment was met with heavy criticism, and the decision to suspend him seems to validate concerns raised by BJP MLC Adagur Vishwanath about his involvement in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scandal.

On Monday, Vishwanath accused Dinesh Kumar of wrongdoing, stating, "Three people need to be held accountable. One of them is GT Dinesh Kumar. The others are Urban Development Minister Byrati Suresh and former MUDA commissioner B Natesh."

The MUDA scandal, which involves allegations of corruption and illegal site allocations, has caused a significant uproar in the state. Although the government denies any misconduct, the issue has led to a legal battle. The High Court is currently hearing a case filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision to allow his prosecution.

Dinesh Kumar is accused of unlawfully allocating sites and introducing a controversial 50:50 ratio for site allocations without MUDA Board approval. The suspension order highlights this as a key issue. This same rule reportedly benefited Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, who received 14 sites in exchange for 3 acres and 16 guntas of land acquired by MUDA.

The suspension has raised concerns about whether the government will also take action against Byrati Suresh and Natesh.

During his time as MUDA commissioner, Natesh was succeeded by Kantharaj, an officer known for his integrity. Kantharaj managed to secure 10,000 stray sites for MUDA, but these were allegedly mishandled by Dinesh Kumar after he took over the position.