Trust land in Bengaluru: SC for Karnataka HC to defer contempt proceedings

New Delhi: Karnataka's top bureaucrats have approached the Supreme Court for a stay of contempt proceedings initiated against them in the Karnataka High Court for alleged non-compliance of a 2017 verdict that asked them to return over 350 acre of land to Jamnalal Bajaj Seva Trust, located on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

On Wednesday, a bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Prasanna B Varale issued notice to the trust and asked the parties to request the HC to defer the proceedings as the apex court was seized of the matter.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karnataka Principal Secretary Manjunath Prasad and eight other bureaucrats, said that a compliance affidavit was already filed by the state government and yet officials were facing contempt.

The land of the trust was taken over by the state's land authorities on the ground that it had "excess land" under the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961.

“These are top officials of the state government. We have filed the compliance affidavit and if contempt charges are framed (in the HC) then what will remain,” Sibal asked.

After issuing notice, the bench posted the matter for consideration after eight weeks.

The HC was scheduled to hear the contempt case during the day.

The Karnataka High Court, on July 1, 2017, quashed the order of the Land Tribunal, Bengaluru North, which had declared 354 acre and 10 guntas of land held by the trust as "excess land" under the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961.

The HC restored the possession of the land to the trust by quashing the tribunal's order of November 28, 2017.

The trust subsequently filed the contempt case against the state officials for non-compliance of the verdict.