Bengaluru: A five-year-old case is back to haunt former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, with the state government telling the Karnataka High Court that it would give itself a three-month ultimatum to enquire and take action in the alleged land grab case.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday accepted the commitment from the state government and disposed of a writ by a non-government organisation and anti-corruption crusader Samaja Parivarthana Samiti.
The case relates to an alleged land grab investigation of over 200 acres near Bidadi in the suburbs of Bengaluru.
The writ states that a Lokayukta enquiry as early as 2014 into this land holding had established that there was enough evidence on possible encroachment of 110 acres of 'gomala' or pasture land that cannot be sold to individuals; besides there were suspect transactions in another 90 acres that was originally bought by some individuals but given as a gift deed to Kumaraswamy and his relative DC Thamanna, a sitting MLA who was also in the Kumaraswamy cabinet until last year.
However, the state had stayed quiet without taking any action for more than five years. It wanted the court to intervene to ensure culprits are brought to justice.
Additional advocate general Dhyan Chinnappa told the court the government will now commit to completing the process of enquiry, and action based on that enquiry within three months, that is by April 14.