Karnataka High Court Orders CBI Probe into 55-Acre Land Scam
The Karnataka High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into a significant land fraud, describing the allocation of 55 acres to a non-existent entity called 'Lakeview Tourism' as a "gross fraud" and a "criminal conspiracy" involving state authorities. The land, located in Bengaluru's Hebbal and Amanikere Hebbal villages, was acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) between 2002 and 2004. This followed an application filed in 2000 by P. Satish Pai, purportedly representing 'Lakeview Tourism' and other prominent businessmen like P. Dayananda Pai, to establish a resort, five-star hotel, and amusement park.
The court's division bench, led by Justices D.K. Singh and Tara Vitasta Ganju, found that 'Lakeview Tourism' was only formed in 2011, years after the land acquisition process began, and none of the initially named promoters were involved in its actual establishment. Despite starting with a share capital of just Rs. 1 lakh and reporting negligible income, and showing no development for over a decade, the State Level Single Window Committee in March 2023 approved the land's modification for a comprehensive township and IT park, based on the company's purported partnership with two real estate developers.
The High Court not only nullified the entire land acquisition process, condemning it as a scheme to benefit a non-existent entity while denying genuine landowners their rightful property for a pittance, but also imposed a fine of Rs. 10 lakh on Lakeview Tourism Corporation, payable within four weeks. The court emphasized that an impartial and independent investigation by state agencies would be impossible due to the direct involvement of government authorities in facilitating this elaborate land fraud, thereby necessitating a CBI inquiry.
Source: CourtBeat News (Kannada)
