Somanna case: Court to pronounce orders today

Judge N K Sudhindra Rao, who was supposed to pronounce the orders on Monday, adjourned it for a day, after seeking clarifications on the complaint filed by Ravi Krishna Reddy, a software engineer. The complaint pertains to denotification of 22 guntas of land at Nagadevanahalli of Kengeri hobli in Bangalore South to favour Somanna.

The Court sought to know why the complainant had not approached the Lokayukta police before approaching the Lokayukta Court. Suresh, the counsel for the complainant, replied that the complainant was apprehensive as he was filing a complaint against a former chief minister and a powerful minister.

It also sought to know if the complainant had a political background or was associated with any party. The counsel informed the Court that the complainant did not belong to any party and that he had contested the Assembly election in 2008 from Jayanagar constituency.

The Court sought to know if he had any hidden agenda and the complainant replied that his fight was only against corruption.

The complaint states that land in survey numbers 77 and 78 in Nagadevanahalli was acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority for the formation of Jnanabharathi Layout and the final notification was published in January, 1994. A compensation of Rs 6.83 lakh was also awarded by the BDA in July, 1997. In 2004, Lingaiah, the original owner, executed a sale deed for a plot in S No 78 in favour of Shylaja, wife of Somanna.

Other plots in the area, totally measuring 22 guntas, were registered in Shylaja’s name the same day, even though the land belonged to BDA. Lingaiah also executed a rectification deed in favour of Shylaja to allow construction, stating that the 22 guntas had been denotified.

In 2005, Lingaiah applied for denotification of lands, claiming their possession and on the ground that several buildings had come up on the said property. But, this was shot down by the denotification committee, saying the land was  with the BDA.

In 2009, Lingaiah submitted another application for denotification of land, and this was cleared by Yeddyurappa, despite strong reservations expressed by the Principal Secretary to the Urban Development Department.