HC directs govt to suspend B'luru South assistant commissioner, tahsildar

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday directed the government to suspend two senior officers for dereliction of duty.

Expressing displeasure over the action of the government officials, the court directed the principal secretary, Revenue Department to suspend D B Natesh, assistant commissioner (AC) and Shivakumar, tahsildar of Bengaluru South division and hold enquiry against them.

Hearing a petition filed by S C Gokarna, one of the land owners at Kothnur village in JP Nagar 7th phase, Bengaluru, Justice Ravi Malimath lambasted the officials and granted stay on the order issued by the AC for acquiring the land. Justice Malimath said that the action of the officials is nothing but ‘hooliganism’ and showing their high handedness and trying to illegally acquire the land from private parties.

Gokarna, who owns seven acres in the village, had moved the high court challenging the action of the AC and the tahsildar who had issued notices to the land owners.  The notice stated that the government is acquiring their land as per the provisions of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, charging that they had encroached upon the government land. The notice was issued to the land owners on May 26 and, without giving a chance to the land owners to reply to the notices. The tahsildar and the AC demolished the compound wall around the land the next day, he contended.

Gokarna has challenged the action of the officials of demolishing the wall without giving time to the land owners to reply. The judge passed an order to take action against the erring officials and granted stay on the notice issued by them of acquiring the land.