Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout: SC allows purchasers of sites for allotment; orders against demolition

The Supreme Court has said that purchasers of sites in Bengaluru's Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout were entitled to allotment provided they bought the land prior to its August 3, 2018 judgment. It directed for appointment of a committee of retired district judges within four months for examining the claims.

In a big relief to site owners, a bench of Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna also noted certain layouts were formed and approved by the Bangalore Development Authority, prior to the judgement and constructions were raised over there.

"We are of the view that it is just and proper not to demolish constructions made in these lay-outs," the bench said, directing the BDA not to acquire lands in such lay-outs.

The bench asked the Justice A V Chandrashekar Committee to examine the approvals granted to such layouts and submit a report to the court.

The court allowed the purchasers of sites to get themselves registered in the BDA within four months.

However, it clarified that these purchasers should not be owning any other residential property in Bengaluru and the surrounding vicinity.

The top court had on August 3, 2018, passed the judgement directing the Bangalore Development Authority not to drop the land acquisition from the layout originally proposed in 2008, posing serious repercussions to those who built the houses over there.

The court said the documents submitted by the applicants along with their applications for allotment of sites, the maximum size of 30 ft x 40 ft, would be referred by the Commissioner, BDA, to a committee of retired district judges, comprising of a Chairman and two Members, to examine the title deed and submit a report on the ownership.

"The BDA would allot sites only to those applicants who are duly certified by this committee as the owners, subject to their satisfying other conditions of this order," the bench said.