KAS officer accused of diverting Hassan forest posted as special deputy commissioner

Bengaluru: Two weeks after the state government decided to move the Supreme Court against an assistant commissioner accused of illegally diverting 62 acres of forest in Hassan in 2020, the government has posted the senior officer as the special deputy commissioner.

K A Jagadeesh had issued an order backing a tahsildar's endorsement that 61 acre 32 gunta in Survey Number 22 of Tyavalli of Shanthigrama Hobli in Hassan taluk was gomala land.

His endorsement came in response to an appeal by one T D Dasegowda that an "inadvertent" entry of the word "forest" in the record of rights (RTC) had taken place and requested the officer to restore the entry of "Sarkari Gomala".

He observed that except for the RTC the Forest department had failed to provide any document demonstrating the classification of the land as forest and allowed the department to pursue transfer of title before the deputy commissioner.

Following an appeal by the Forest department, the deputy commissioner had remanded the matter back to the assistant commissioner. In the meanwhile, the department filed a private complaint accusing Jagadeesh of violating Section 2 and 3 of Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 that bars diversion of forest land without necessary clearances from the Centre. The department proceeded against the officer under section 15 of the Rules issued under the Adhiniyam and also cited the violation of Supreme Court orders.

The High Court had quashed the forest department's case. The court said it was shocking to see the department registering a criminal case against an officer, who was performing quasi-judicial function as an assistant commissioner.

SC appeal and transfer

As the department decided to pursue the case against Jagadeesh at the Supreme Court, the state government last month gave approval. The November 15 order by the Home Department accorded sanction to preferring special leave petition (criminal) before the apex court. It also ordered the preparation of appeal.

However, on November 27, the department of personnel and administration transferred Jagadeesha as the additional deputy commissioner of Hassan district.

To questions over conflict of interest in posting the officer, sources in the government said the Revenue Department had no say in the transfer. "The transfer was done by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms," an officer said.