<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing & Export Corporation Ltd (KAPPEC) has ordered the eviction of a company linked to JD(S) leader BM Farooq from a cold chain facility citing unauthorised occupation and multiple contractual violations. </p><p>Farooq, however, has challenged the eviction order, accusing KAPPEC managing director CN Shiva Prakash of “having a personal interest in forcing us out”. </p><p>Fiza Global Agroventures Private Ltd, where Farooq is the managing director, has been asked to vacate KAPPEC’s Integrated Cold Chain Facility (ICCF) near the Kempegowda International Airport. </p>.'It was a daylight dacoity on lands of poor farmers,' Karnataka High Court.<p>The order, issued on April 10, directs the firm to vacate the premises within 45 days.</p><p>According to KAPPEC, the company was selected to operate and maintain the cold chain facility in April 2024. However, it defaulted on licence fee payments and committed “systematic defaults” of its agreement, KAPPEC said. </p><p>Against an annual licence fee of Rs 1.55 crore, the firm paid only Rs 18.29 lakh, KAPPEC claimed in its order. The total dues have mounted to Rs 2.48 crore and continue to accrue daily at the rate of Rs 50,969. The eviction order also cites non-operation of the cold chain facility, repeated power disconnections due to unpaid electricity bills, and environmental violations flagged by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. </p><p>In addition, authorities found the premises being misused for unauthorised commercial storage of garments, leading to seizure and sealing action by the Commercial Taxes Department over suspected tax evasion, KAPPEC said. </p><p>The agreement was terminated with effect from July 28, 2025, but the firm continued to illegally occupy the facility, KAPPEC said. </p><p>KAPPEC said a show-cause notice issued in March 2026 was duly served through multiple channels, but the company neither responded nor appeared before the competent authority. </p><p>When contacted, Farooq, a former MLC, maintained that the company responded to KAPPEC. “We’ve said that we can’t be evicted. There are provisions for arbitration and appeals,” he said. </p><p>“We got the facility on an ‘as is where is’ basis. Machinery installed in the facility by one company was faulty. We’ve complained several times that we’re unable to operate. No rectification was done,” Farooq said. </p><p>Farooq also said he was overseas when one person, who wanted to check the facility, “dumped boxes of garments” there. “This was shown as us doing garments business,” he said. "The KAPPEC MD is trying to tarnish our image," he charged.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing & Export Corporation Ltd (KAPPEC) has ordered the eviction of a company linked to JD(S) leader BM Farooq from a cold chain facility citing unauthorised occupation and multiple contractual violations. </p><p>Farooq, however, has challenged the eviction order, accusing KAPPEC managing director CN Shiva Prakash of “having a personal interest in forcing us out”. </p><p>Fiza Global Agroventures Private Ltd, where Farooq is the managing director, has been asked to vacate KAPPEC’s Integrated Cold Chain Facility (ICCF) near the Kempegowda International Airport. </p>.'It was a daylight dacoity on lands of poor farmers,' Karnataka High Court.<p>The order, issued on April 10, directs the firm to vacate the premises within 45 days.</p><p>According to KAPPEC, the company was selected to operate and maintain the cold chain facility in April 2024. However, it defaulted on licence fee payments and committed “systematic defaults” of its agreement, KAPPEC said. </p><p>Against an annual licence fee of Rs 1.55 crore, the firm paid only Rs 18.29 lakh, KAPPEC claimed in its order. The total dues have mounted to Rs 2.48 crore and continue to accrue daily at the rate of Rs 50,969. The eviction order also cites non-operation of the cold chain facility, repeated power disconnections due to unpaid electricity bills, and environmental violations flagged by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. </p><p>In addition, authorities found the premises being misused for unauthorised commercial storage of garments, leading to seizure and sealing action by the Commercial Taxes Department over suspected tax evasion, KAPPEC said. </p><p>The agreement was terminated with effect from July 28, 2025, but the firm continued to illegally occupy the facility, KAPPEC said. </p><p>KAPPEC said a show-cause notice issued in March 2026 was duly served through multiple channels, but the company neither responded nor appeared before the competent authority. </p><p>When contacted, Farooq, a former MLC, maintained that the company responded to KAPPEC. “We’ve said that we can’t be evicted. There are provisions for arbitration and appeals,” he said. </p><p>“We got the facility on an ‘as is where is’ basis. Machinery installed in the facility by one company was faulty. We’ve complained several times that we’re unable to operate. No rectification was done,” Farooq said. </p><p>Farooq also said he was overseas when one person, who wanted to check the facility, “dumped boxes of garments” there. “This was shown as us doing garments business,” he said. "The KAPPEC MD is trying to tarnish our image," he charged.</p>
