JOIN USA private complaint was filed against Congress leader D K Shivakumar in the Special Lokayukta Court on Monday, alleging illegal denotification of land at Beniganahalli in the City.
The complaint was filed by T J Abraham and the matter has been posted for March 7.
According to the complaint, Shivakumar had purchased 5.11 acres of land in Beniganahalli off Old Madras Road on December 18, 2003, from B K Sreenivasan. The land was notified in 1986 for the formation of East of NGEF Layout. Of the 5.11 acres, a total of 4.2 acres was converted from agricultural to industrial use in 1942 and the certificate was issued by the tahsildar in 1962. On February 17, 2004, Shivakumar made a formal representation to the Special Deputy Commissioner (Bangalore district) seeking conversion of 4.1 acres for residential purposes and 0.1 acre for developing a park.
The then Special DC Ramegowda gave the approval, with the rider that the land should be denotified by BDA. Shivakumar entered into a joint development agreement with the builders for the construction of an apartment complex even before the land was denotified.
The total guidance value of the apartment complex is estimated to be Rs 79.22 crore.
The land was denotified on May 13, 2010, by the then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa. The complaint states the denotification was made in the name of Sreenivasan, the original land owner who had died in 2004. The complaint alleges that buying notified land amounted to violation of Karnataka Land (Restriction on Transfer) Act, 1991 and contravention of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as he was a public servant at the time of purchasing the notified land.