Karnataka government reclaims land ‘encroached’ by HDK
On Monday, the state’s high court issued stern warnings to officials over delay in implementing the court’s earlier eviction orders
The state revenue department on Tuesday initiated measures to clear the encroachment of government land allegedly by Union minister HD Kumaraswamy in Ramanagara district, with the development coming a day after the state’s high court issued stern warnings to officials over delay in implementing the court’s earlier eviction orders.
Senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader Kumaraswamy, however, termed the action a “conspiracy” against him by the Congress government, saying he would fight it out legally. He further said that he had purchased the parcel of land 40 years ago.
As part of the eviction operation, led by Ramanagara deputy commissioner Yashwant V Gurukar and additional superintendent of police (ASP) Suresh, officials of the revenue and survey departments started the process to reclaim 14.04 acres of encroached government land by deploying earthmovers near Kumaraswamy’s farmhouse at Kethaganahalli village in Bidadi.
“Based on the high court’s direction, we are carrying out the encroachment clearance today (Tuesday),” Gurukar told reporters, adding the encroachment is more than 14 acres, whose details would be submitted to the court.
In January, the Karnataka government constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe allegations of encroachment of government land in Kethaganahalli. The SIT, in a joint survey with the revenue and survey settlement departments, identified 14.04 acres of encroached land in survey numbers 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, and 79, officials said.
The encroachment case is pending before the high court, which during a hearing on Monday took a strong stance against the inaction of the revenue department regarding encroachments in Kethaganahalli. The court sought an explanation for the delay in reclaiming government land and issued a stern warning that failure to act could result in the imprisonment of responsible officials.
The court posted the matter for hearing on March 19, issuing directions to revenue department officials to submit a status report.
Meanwhile, R Devaraju, on behalf of Kumaraswamy, sent a letter to district authorities on March 15, requesting them to recover the land if any encroachment was found under his name. He also urged officials to identify land that Kumaraswamy had lost in the same village.
Reacting to the development, Kumaraswamy, who is the Union minister for heavy industries and steel, said he would fight the government’s “conspiracy” against him through legal means.
“I have never engaged in any illegal activities in my life. The land in question was purchased 40 years ago. I will fight against the government’s conspiracy through legal means. There is no need for anyone to worry,” Kumaraswamy told reporters in Bengaluru before flying to New Delhi.
“I have not done anything illegal. I have been the chief minister twice. Today, the state government is harassing me, ignoring the loot that happened in Bengaluru. Whatever is happening today on the land I purchased 40 years ago, I will answer them within the legal framework,” he added.
The JD(S) leader further said that he was not issued any notice. “Law says that at least the person against whom there is a complaint should be given time for a week or a fortnight, but I have not received any communication or notice,” he said, adding that the SIT was formed by the state government for the first time in the country for such a purpose.
“There must have been an investigation 100 times on the land I purchased 40 years ago. If this is happening to me then you can imagine what will be happening to the ordinary citizens,” he said. “They (Congress) will get a different type of response for the way they carried out their action today. Just wait and see.”
Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge said if Kumaraswamy believes this is a political attack, he should provide documents. “He (Kumaraswamy) says he has documents for everything. So, he should provide the documents showing that the land belongs to him,” Kharge told reporters outside the Vidhan Soudha.
