Anti-corruption crusader and president of Samaj Parivartana Samudaya, S.R. Hiremath charged the former Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition in Assembly Jagadish Shettar with the central involvement in Arkavathi land-grab case.
He was addressing a media conference at Reporters' Guild here on Friday. He claimed that National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources had unearthed some key documents that confirmed the involvement of Mr. Shettar and his brother Pradeep Shettar.
Mr. Hiremath alleged that Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had illegally transferred 4.13 acres of lands in different pieces at Arkavathi extension in Bangalore Urban District to G. Nagaraj who had claimed to be the holder of General Power of Attorney (GPA) of Late. Eeranna who lost his lands in government acquisition in 1977, as a companionate compensation for the lands that Late. Eeranna had lost.
“Upon seeking his opinion, Additional Advocate General K.M. Natara, in his reply to BDA, has clearly held that the power of attorney was a document of convenience and not the document of conveyance. He has further clarified that GPA does not create any right or title in favour of its holder and hence no transfer of property can be affected in favour of GPA holder. Yet, at the behest of Jagadish Shettar and Pradeep Shettar, the BDA has, in a most bizarre move, granted a total of 4.31 acres of lands to Mr. G. Nagaraj who claimed to have the GPA holder of original land owner Late. Eeranna,” Mr. Hiremath alleged. Mr. Nagaraj sold the same lands to various developers including Shoban Constructions and M/s V.J. Enterprises, Mr. Hiremath further alleged.
He held BDA Commissioner T. Sham Bhatt, the then Principal Secretary of Urban Development Authority Bharat Lal Meena and other officers responsible for illegally granting valuable government lands to private party.
“It is the nexus between land mafia, powerful politicians and corrupt bureaucratic apparatus from top to bottom that is responsible fast diminishing valuable government lands,” he opined. He demanded the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to order for a probe into the case.
