BSY submits papers in BDA land denotification case

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa on Friday informed the High Court of Karnataka that Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO) had demanded acquiring land to form the Shivaram Karanth Layout in 2010.

However, in 2014, there was correspondence between the government departments to drop the land from acquisition following instructions by the present government. He said that of the 3,500 acres of land that was initially proposed to form the layout, the present government denotified 1,300 acres of land in one day.

Senior counsel C V Nagesh, appearing for Yeddyurappa, filed documents to the court pertaining to the land that was acquired to form the layout and subsequently dropped from acquisition after the Congress government came to power in 2013.

Arguing on the allegation of dropping the land following directions from the then chief minister, the senior counsel said that a mere mention for dropping the land on a note sheet of a file cannot be considered a government order as it has not been mentioned in a proper format to issue a government order. The directions neither had a government order nor an endorsement by the Governor.

Explaining the word "obtained" monetary benefits mentioned in the complaint copy against Yeddyurappa, the senior counsel said the Supreme Court says that “obtained” referred only if there is a "demand" and "acceptance" and to provide evidence of such an act. He said that the complaint does not mention details of on how Yeddyurappa obtained monetary benefits for denotification.

Nagesh said, "The Anti-Corruption Bureau is like a blind man trying to find a black cat in a dark room."

The counsel was making his submission on a petition filed by Yeddyurappa who has moved the court seeking directions to quash two FIRs filed by ACB and the proceedings against him. Two FIRs were filed against him in the case of "fake-denotification" of 257 acres of land part of the Shivaram Karanth Layout in Bengaluru North. Justice Aravind Kumar adjourned the hearing to Monday.