SC rejects plea on Shivaram Karanth Layout

The bench said a writ petition cannot be entertained in the matter after the Supreme Court's judgement on August 3, 2018

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea claiming that the land of the rich and powerful were being excluded from acquisition for creating Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout in Bengaluru.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala rejected a petition filed by Dr Shivaram Karanth Badavane Santrastara Sangha, saying a writ petition cannot be entertained in the matter after the Supreme Court's judgement on August 3, 2018.

The group represented by senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, among other grounds, claimed the Bengaluru Development Authority by issuing the final notification on October 30, 2018 had violated the provisions of law.

She said the top court had on August 3, 2018 directed for acquisition of the entire extent of land of 3526 acres in Bengaluru north for the layout "but the committee headed by Justice A V Chandrashekhar had recommended for more than 300 properties of the high and mighty to be excluded from the acquisition".

Read | Shivaram Karanth Layout: BDA to acquire 245 acres more

However, the properties belonging to the poor people were being acquired forcefully by employing fear of bulldozers and police personnel without due compensation under the 2013 law, she claimed.

"There is complete chaos in the manner in which the acquisition proceedings is being continued there are committees setup by the orders of this court, there are contradictory notifications being issued by the Land Acquisition officers, where either entire property is being acquired, some are being offered 40% developed land if they surrender their lands, some are being offered sites, there is no uniformity in the process and this has led to serious allegations of corruption in the process," the plea claimed.

"There are builders and developers who are offering much more than what the BDA is offering and they are assured that their lands will be denotified," it added.