HC asks Palike to produce records of Defence land

The High Court on Thursday directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to produce all the documents pertaining to the land claimed by the Defence sector as its own at Chellaghatta village in Bengaluru Urban district.

Hearing a petition by Golf Link Software Private Limited seeking the court to set aside the notice issued by the Defence sector questioning why action should not be initiated against the petitioners for encroaching upon its land, Justice Ram Mohan Reddy directed the BBMP to furnish the related records during the next hearing.


The petitioner contended that though he was the rightful owner of the property and was developing the land belonging to him, the Defence sector had served a notice on him. He termed the allegations of encroachment made by the Defence as baseless.
The petitioner urged the court to stay the notice and restrain the Defence sector from initiating any action.

‘Clear encroachments’

The High Court on Thursday directed the State government to clear encroachments of more than five acres of government land by individuals in the State.

Hearing a PIL by Namma Bengaluru Foundation and Samaj Parivarthan Samudaya, the division bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice R B Budhihal directed the State government to clear the encroachment of land above five acres, after the counsel for petitioners mentioned that no action was taken to recover large tracts of encroached land.

The petitioners pointed out that the rich and powerful were not touched and only small-time encroachers were targeted. The bench then directed the government to focus on removing encroachment of over five acres of land and said, “Though you will be removing less number of encroachers, the extent of encroachment recovered will be more, so that the heartburn suffered by small land encroachers will cool down. Prove your bona fide and by going after them.”

The bench directed the government to file a status report during next hearing.
The bench was also unhappy with the Karnataka Public Land Corporation (KPLC), which failed to submit its report on land which has been recovered at the district level in the State. The KPLC had earlier agreed to submit the report within two days.

However, during the hearing, when the KPLC submitted that it needed more time as the material availed to them was voluminous, the bench said, “You agreed to file a report earlier. Now, you are backing out. You are not able to perform your duties. Instead, inform us so that we will entrust it to an appropriate authority to take up the task.”

Orchids order stayed

The High Court on Thursday stayed the order of the State Education department directing Orchids The International School, Jalahalli, to shift students studying in its sixth and seventh standards and pre-nursery classes to schools which have government recognition.

The court was hearing a petition by Orchids School - where a child was allegedly raped by a staffer - challenging the Education department’s order.

Contending that the academic year was nearing completion and that transferring the children to another school would affect their education, the school sought the court to stay the Education department’s order. The court which heard the matter stayed the proceedings.