Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been given a clean chit in the Rs 70 lakh Hublot watch case by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Established by Siddaramaiah exactly a year ago on March 14, 2016, the ACB had initiated a probe into the three petitions filed separately by advocate Nataraja Sharma, RTI activists Ramamurthy Gowda and T J Abraham seeking a probe into the diamond-studded watch worth worn by the Chief Minister.

It is gathered that the ACB closed the inquiry into the petitions in the preliminary stage itself after recording the statement of Dubai-based CM’s friend Dr Girish Chandra Varma who is said to have produced records to prove that the watch belonged to him and he had gifted the same to Siddaramaiah despite his refusal.

It was JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy who raised the issue first and questioned how Siddaramaiah who calls himself a socialist could afford a watch worth lakhs. In response, Siddaramaiah offered to sell the watch for `5 lakh to him and later admitted that it was gifted by Varma.

After opposition leaders raised objections and later stalled legislature proceedings over the issue, Siddaramaiah declared the watch a state asset and handed it over to the Speaker’s office.