The Shala Bhachavo Kriti Samiti (Save School Action Committee) floated recently to save a government Marathi medium school demanded criminal action against officials of Belagavi City Corporation (BCC). The samiti alleged that an individual, who the BCC officials were hand in glove with, was claiming ownership over the land on which the school stood, even though it belonged to the corporation.
Samiti president and former councillor Arun Yellur told reporters here on Tuesday that a public rally will be taken out to pressure the government to save the government property and school in the city on Thursday. The samiti will also pressure the government to order a thorough inquiry into the role of BCC officials.
He alleged that the BCC officials had failed to file their objections and available evidence to the court. This had paved way for a civil court in the city to pass an ex-parte decree in favour of the individual Ziya Ahmed Mokashi, he alleged.
He said that Mr. Mokashi, in 2013, had filed a case claiming ownership of land measuring two acres and five guntas in the heart of the city, where the Government’s Marathi medium Boys and Girls School has been in existence since 1913. The school occupies around 38 guntas. He said in 1894, a British national Arthur Carton had permanently leased the land to Bhimrao Yallojirao Jadhav. Mr. Jadhav sold the land to the then Belgaum Municipality for Rs. 525 on October 20, 1913.
Though the civil court passed an ex-parte decree in Mr. Mokashi’s favour on August 28, 2015, the matter came to the light of school administration only when he filed an appeal pleading for possession of the land on April 5, 2016, and approached the school asserting his ownership. He tried to take possession of the land on the strength of court’s decision same day. However, with timely protest by school administration, Mr. Yellur, Mr. Benke and parents, he could not succeed.
Mr. Yellur alleged that the then BCC Commissioner M.R. Ravikumar deposed before the court and maintained that the claims of Mr. Mokashi were false. However, he did not substantiate by submitting available records to support BCC’s claim. This alone provided serious doubts of BCC officials being hand in glove with Mr. Mokashi, he charged.
As the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) and school headmaster were not made respondents in the case, the DDPI filed an application before the court stating that the decree passed by the court was not binding upon his office under the provisions of Order 21 of Civil Procedure Code, 1987. The case is now slated to come up for hearing on June 17.
