Bengaluru Palace Grounds case: Karnataka govt files plea in SC against order to release TDR

The court was informed TDRs were already handed over on Friday and the direction was passed after considering all the submissions.

New Delhi: The Karnataka government has filed a fresh plea in the Supreme Court against an order of May 22 to release Transferable Development Rights certificates of over Rs 3,400 crore in favour legal heir of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and others for over 15 acres of land of Bangalore Palace Grounds acquired for widening of Bellary and Jayamahal Roads.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, on behalf of the state government, mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih.

The bench, while asking as to how it can sit in appeal filed by another bench, agreed to consider the matter on Tuesday.

The court was informed that TDRs were already handed over on Friday and the direction was passed after considering all the submissions. It was also submitted that the matter has since become infructuous.

Sibal, however, asked, "How can TDR be granted in law, when the Act doesn't apply? TDR came into force only in 2004. How can they be granted retrospectively."

A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar had on May 22 passed the judgment for release of TDR, rejecting all the contentions raised by the Karnataka government.

The court had then disposed of a batch of contempt petitions were filed by the legal heir of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and others, represented by advocate Nayana Tara B G and others.

On January 29, 2025, the Karnataka government notified the Bangalore Palace (Utilization and Regulation of Land) Ordinance 2025, reserving the right to not acquire portions of the disputed Palace land located in the heart of the Bengaluru city, after the apex court's order of December 10, 2024 on issuance of TDR.

The Karnataka government also filed a separate application urging the Supreme Court to take up 1997 civil appeal challenging constitutional validity of the Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1996.