Officers of the Department of Industries and Commerce had received complaints from land losers about irregularities in sanctioning compensation for land acquired for SEZ in Bandikodigenahalli. Many people got compensation by producing fake and forged documents. Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani had recommended suspension of four officers allegedly involved in murky deals. For some reason, the Minister’s order was not implemented.
Instead, the department ordered for a judicial probe by retired district judge N S Sangolli in August 2009. The retired judge conducted the probe and submitted his report in January 2010. The report indicted a few KAS officers in the compensation scam.
Principal Secretary of Industries and Commerce V P Baligar forwarded the report to the chief minister’s office for further action. But there was no response from the chief minister’s office and the report gathered dust for several months. The Government did not stop the release of compensation even after these developments. As much as Rs 10 crore was released as compensation, even after the enquiry report was submitted. Had the government shown a little interest in penalising the guilty, the scam could have been exposed much earlier. The Lokayukta police began its probe into the compensation scam and interrogated KAS officers J C Anil Kumar, H S Ramakrishna and Chikbettaiah in September. The government was forced to take action against them. They were suspended.
Police case
The Government had another clue about this scam in April 2009. Yet the police did not dig into it. Muni Anjanappa, a farmer from Bandikodigenahalli, filed a complaint with Bagalur police on April 17, 2009 stating that he had been cheated in the distribution of compensation for the land he had parted with. His land located in survey number 40 in the village was acquired by the KIADB.
He had complained to police that Katta Jagadish, son of Katta Subramanya Naidu, S V Srinivas, MD of Itasca and others had cheated him by taking his signature on the compensation cheques, issued by the KIADB and realised it for their benefit. The FIR was registered under IPC sections 406, 408, 418 and 420. But the investigation did not proceed further.
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