When it comes to land-grabbing, it is all one big party for politicians. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the State are once again in the news for the wrong reasons with three complaints filed with the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF). Of these, Home Minister R. Ashok is the main accused in two.
The alleged land allotments indicate that enmity between politicians of rival parties is restricted just to politics, as one of the major beneficiaries is a prominent functionary of Janata Dal (Secular) who, along with his family, has got 15 acres of land.
Gomal land
According to the complaints, for which the FIR was registered on October 19, the Home Minister has been accused of distributing 27 acres of gomal land (pasture land) in south Bangalore fraudulently by misusing his official position as the then chairperson of the Land Grant Committee. While most of the beneficiaries are members of the committee itself, others include former and present Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) councillors, their relatives and some individuals, as per the FIR.
Hesaraghatta resident G. Honnarajappa (72), who filed the three complaints on October 19, has named Mr. Ashok as the prime accused, along with the former councillor Suguna, BJP leader Nityakalyani Prakash, Banashankari Temple ward councillor A.H. Basavaraju’s wife Manjula and mother-in-law Lakshmamma, general secretary of Advocates’ Association, Bangalore, and JD(S) functionary A.P. Ranganath and his family members, including father, Padmanabhaiah, mother, Lakshmidevamma, and wife A.P. Mamatha.
Mr. Honnarajappa alleged Mr. Ashok, as the then Land Grant Committee chairperson, had “fraudulently and dishonestly and with corrupt motives… created illegal documents… by abusing his official powers granted land… changed the khata and pahani and effected false mutation register.” He alleged the Minister had forged documents of the gomal land in survey no. 91 of Kengeri hobli, Bangalore south, and distributed the land to Mr. Suguna, Ms. Prakash, Ms. Manjula and Ms. Lakshmamma.
Influential positions
These fraudulent transactions were carried out by all the five accused while they were holding official positions in the committee, the complaint said. The FIR mentioned that survey no. 91 was originally gomal land. Similarly, Mr. Honnarajappa accused Mr. Ashok of fabricating documents pertaining to land in survey no. 35 of Badamanevartekaval (B.M. Kaval) in Kengeri hobli, Bangalore south, and issued khatas to his associates, including Mr. Ranganath and his family members.
The BMTF has booked three cases against Mr. Ashok and his associates under forgery, cheating and other relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. BMTF chief R.P. Sharma told The Hindu the officials would take action as per the law. “We have started procuring the documents related to the disputed government land and investigation is on,” he said.
