Karnataka high court
Bengaluru: The state govtcannot acquire land or property to create wealth in the hands of private individuals for profit and gain, Karnataka high court has observed, handing relief to Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board officials facing a real estate company’s contempt petition for alleged failure to change the land-use pattern.
Bengaluru’s Cornerstone Property Developers had filed the petition against M Mahesh and IAS officer Govinda Reddy, both chief executive officers and executive members of KIADB, alleging they had failed to implement the Oct 11, 2022 order passed by a single bench. Under the agreement, the company was to pay 100% of the cost of the land acquisition. However, the demand of Rs 371,38 crore was brought down to Rs 278,53 crore.
Yet, the petitioner did not pay a paisa. Further, the petitioner was not entitled to change the activity from an entertainment theme park to an integrated township with office spaces, residential plots and hotels, the court added.