The High Court on Thursday stayed the Lokayukta proceedings against Higher Education and Tourism Minister RV Deshpande in connection with illegal deletion of properties from lands notified for an IT Park between 2001 and 2006.
The private complaint was registered Vasudeva Reddy, following which the Lokayukta police registered the FIR against RV Deshpande.
The complaint stated that Despande, who was industries minister in the SM Krishna’s cabinet, used his influence in 2001 to delete select lands from notification in which he had business and real estate interests.
None of the lands were eligible to be excluded from acquisition.
The complaint said that three real estate companies privately purchased the lands after the IT corridor’s limits were declared.
When revenue authorities forfeited the land for violation under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, the firms got the same lands re-allotted by approaching the government, proposing IT industries. The State government had declared the land lying between Whitefield and Electronics City as IT corridor during 2000-01 for industrial development in IT and IT-enabled services.
Though Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) issued a notification in respect of nearly 500 acres, the final notification had only 434 acres, covering prime land in Bellandur, Devarabeesanahalli, Kadabeesanahalli and Kariyammana Agrahara, the complaint said.
Hearing the petitioner, Justice AN Venugopala Gowda granted stay on proceedings and ordered notices to be issued to Lokayukta police and complainant Vasudeva Reddy.
