Snehamayi Krishna, an activist known for filing complaints in the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment controversy, has been arrested by the Bengaluru Crime Branch following allegations made by a senior government official. The action comes amid ongoing legal and political attention surrounding the MUDA case, in which Krishna had earlier accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M, and certain associates of irregularities in residential site allocations.
According to police officials, a case was registered at the Bengaluru City Cyber Crime Police Station on February 18, 2026, based on a complaint filed by D B Natesh, a Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) officer and former MUDA Commissioner. The complaint alleged that Krishna used his Facebook account to circulate manipulated content targeting the officer, including photographs, allegedly forged documents, and edited voice recordings.
Natesh claimed that the materials were shared with the intention of spreading misinformation on social media and causing harassment and reputational damage. During the investigation, cyber crime officers collected digital evidence both from the complainant and from social media platforms. Authorities also examined voice clips uploaded online as part of their inquiry into the allegations.
After securing a search warrant from a court, investigators conducted a search at Krishna’s residence to recover documents and electronic material connected to the case. Police stated that a formal notice had been issued to him earlier in connection with the probe and that he was taken into custody for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation process.
Krishna had previously emerged as a central complainant in the MUDA land allotment controversy, raising allegations of irregularities in the allocation of compensatory residential plots in Mysuru. His primary claim related to the allotment of alternative sites to Parvathi B M in exchange for a disputed parcel of land located in Kesare village. He questioned the legitimacy of the original land title and argued that the compensatory allotment resulted in financial loss to the state exchequer, leading to multiple legal challenges and investigations.
However, developments earlier this year affected the course of the case. In January, a special court dismissed Krishna’s plea seeking further prosecution after challenging the Lokayukta’s closure report, holding that there was insufficient evidence to proceed against the chief minister and other individuals named in the allegations. Separately, a commission headed by retired judge P N Desai reviewed allotments carried out between 2020 and 2024 and concluded that the compensatory site allocations could not be considered illegal based on the available material.
The commission recommended action only against certain officials for procedural lapses, and the Karnataka cabinet later accepted its findings. Despite these conclusions, Krishna continued to pursue legal remedies and approached the 81st Additional City Civil and Sessions Court seeking an independent investigation into alleged bribery involving Lokayukta officials connected to the MUDA probe.
With the cyber crime case now under active investigation and related legal proceedings still pending, the controversy surrounding the MUDA land allotments remains both politically sensitive and legally complex in Karnataka.
