High Court quashes land notification in B'lore South

Acquisition is without application of mind, says Court

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday set aside the notification of 746 acres in Bangalore South for industrial purpose.

Chikkanna and Hombaiah, the land owners and residents of Magadi taluk in Ramanagar district had moved the court, challenging the acquisition of their land. “The acquisition is without application of mind,” Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri observed, while quashing the notification dated August 19, 2008.

The petitioners stated that the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) acquired 1,032 acres through a preliminary notification in 2006 though there was neither demand nor need for land.

Counsel for the petitioners, B Keshavamurthy, contended that the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (KSSIDC), which had sought acquisition of 1,000 acres, had abandoned the project.

The KSSIDC could not afford to pay Rs 40 lakh per acre fixed by an evaluation committee. The petitioners submitted that the KIADB then went on looking for buyers instead of returning the land to the owners. Later, the KIADB denotified 286 acres. “In addition to this, the government decided to go ahead with the project despite the KIADB on November 4, 2010 writing to the State that the project be dropped,” Keshavamurthy said.

Fresh affidavit directed

The High Court on Monday directed the State police to file a fresh affidavit in connection with a statement made by (Deputy Commissioner of Police) DCP Central regarding the murder of KAS officer Mahantesh.

During the hearing of a petition filed by City-based advocate A V Amarnathan seeking to restrain television channels from glorifying crime news, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice Aravind Kumar, lashed out at the State government over the affidavit filed by Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG and IGP) Lalrokhuma Pachau.

During the earlier hearing, the Chief Justice, after learning about the statement issued by DCP Central over the death of Mahantesh, had directed the government to file an affidavit. The DG and IGP had filed an affidavit stating that the DCP (Central) was served with a show cause notice on July 12, 2012 seeking an explanation.

He had further stated that the DCP in his reply on the same day had stated that he had not disclosed any investigation matter in connection with Mahantesh’s case and had assured the court that action will be initiated against the officer in case he was found guilty.

However, the Chief Justice on Monday expressed his dissatisfaction over the affidavit and said, “The affidavit appears not to be correct. The DCP says there is another angle to his death. Let him come here and explain.”

When the petitioners pointed out that a statement was issued to the media in this connection, the Bench said, “The DCP says it is not murder, something else. If he feels that nothing is wrong in his statement, we will listen to it,” the Bench said. However, he directed the State police to file a fresh affidavit.