Bengaluru: The State High Court on April 25 has granted time to the State Government to find out how many acres of land has been encroached in Ketaganahalli of Bidadi Hobli, Ramanagara District by Former Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy and his relative Maddur MLA D. C. Thammanna .
The High Court had ordered the implementation of the Lokayukta’s order to conduct a detailed investigation and submit a report regarding the land grabbing case. A division bench headed by Justices B. Veerappa and K. Venkatesh Naik conducted the hearing of the contempt of court petition filed by NGO Samaja Parivartana Samudaya headed by Social ActivistbS. R. Hiremath challenging the State Government’s failure to implement it.
During the hearing, Government counsel Kiran Kumar said that the Lokayukta had accepted the report dated August 4, 2014 on August 5, 2014 and sought time to verify whether the Lokayukta order was related to 14 acres or 71 acres. Considering this, the bench adjourned the hearing of the application to May 23, 2023.
In the background of the order dated March 16, 2023, the Revenue Department Secretary N. Jayaram submitted an affidavit in which he said 14 acres, 4 guntas in various survey numbers were acquired as per eviction order dated August 4, 2004. An independent Mahajar has been ordered and the entire area has been ordered to be fenced with barbed wire. Also, eviction notices have been issued to vacate the encroachments. The three persons responded to this and explained that they had not encroached on Government land, the affidavit stated.
After that, the concerned authorities visited the place and seized the land in the encroached survey numbers, and then conducted a Mahajar. The objectionable land is lying vacant and no activity has been carried out. The affidavit explained that the pictures of the sketch copies were attached.
Advocate for the petitioner S. Basavaraj has submitted that according to the Lokayukta report dated August 4, 2014, the encroached land is 71 acres and not 14 acres, 4 gunte. Thus, the compliance report submitted by the respondents should be rejected. The report approved by the Lokayukta dated August 5, 2014 and the order of the Additional Advocate General dated August 4, 2014 will be complied with. He explained to the bench that the Divisional Bench of the High Court has recorded in its order dated January 14, 2020 that the land has not been taken into possession at present.