BJP leader N R Ramesh on Saturday said supporters of Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda have grabbed 22 acres and 35 guntas of government land in North Bengaluru taluk.

Addressing reporters, Ramesh said the land is in survey number 103 of village Kodagala Hatti in Hunasamaranahalli village panchayat in Jala hobli. The cost of the land in the open market today is Rs 250 crore as it is close to the Kempegowda International Airport. Land grabbers have succeeded in grabbing around 5,000 acres of government land and are now eyeing this chunk of land. Some government officials too have connived with these land sharks and created bogus land records claiming to be owners of the land. Small sheds have come up on this piece of land and records they possess show that they have been living there for more than two decades. Further, these people were given hakku patra (land holding documents) too. “These hakku patras are bogus and have been created in active connivance with panchayat officials,” added Ramesh.

When contacted, Krishna Byregowda said, “I request you to do some basic fact-checking and treat it for what it is worth.”