Case Note & Summary
The writ petition was filed under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India challenging the order dated 20.05.2024 of the Committee constituted by the High Court to verify deletions from the Arkavathi Layout acquisition. Petitioners claimed ownership of 26 acres 12 guntas of land in Hennur Village, Bangalore, originally notified for acquisition by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in 2003–2004. An earlier round of litigation resulted in a Division Bench order on 25.11.2005 in W.A.2757/2005, granting liberty to the landholders to apply for deletion from acquisition based on a government policy. Subsequently, the Supreme Court in Bondu Ramaswamy v. BDA (2010) 7 SCC 129 affirmed the Division Bench with further directions, leading to a Final Notification on 18.06.2014 that ostensibly excluded the petitioners' land. However, in W.P.No.51929/2014, a Single Judge of the High Court on 27.09.2021 found that the deletion process was flawed and constituted a Committee headed by Justice K.N. Keshavanarayana to re-examine all deletions. The Committee passed an order on 20.05.2024 in respect of the petitioners' land, apparently adverse, leading to the present writ petition. The judgment, as provided, only sets out the procedural background and does not contain the final decision or legal reasoning. The High Court reserved the matter for orders on 08.12.2025 and pronounced the order on 12.12.2025, but the operative part and ratio are not included in the extracted text.
Issue of Consideration
Whether the impugned order dated 20.05.2024 passed by the Committee (second respondent) in proceedings KNKC No. 169/2022 etc. ought to be quashed, and whether the schedule property has been dropped from acquisition in the light of the judgments of the High Court and Supreme Court and the Final Notification dated 18.06.2014.
Case Details
2025 LawText (KAR) (12) 57
WRIT PETITION NO. 16139 OF 2024 (LA-BDA)
Justice D K Singh, Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju
Uday Holla, Dharma Veer Singh B., Mukesh Kumar Surana, Harish S., Ashok Haranahalli, B.S. Karthikeyan, A.N., G.S. Aruna
Sri Prem Singh, Smt. Beejakshari Varman, Sri Sahil Varman
Commissioner, Bangalore Development Authority; Hon'ble Justice K. N. Keshava Narayana Committee; Special Land Acquisition Officer, BDA; Executive Engineer, BDA; State of Karnataka
Subscribe to unlock Case Details (Citation, Judge, Date & more)
Subscribe Now
Nature of Litigation
Writ petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution challenging the order of the Committee constituted by the High Court regarding deletion of land from acquisition for Arkavathi Layout.
Remedy Sought
Quash the impugned order dated 20-05-2024 issued by the second respondent Committee and declare that the schedule property has been dropped from acquisition in light of earlier judgments and the Final Notification dated 18-06-2014.
Filing Reason
The Committee's order dated 20-05-2024 in proceedings KNKC No.169/2022 etc. presumably rejected the deletion of the petitioners' schedule property from acquisition.
Previous Decisions
Single Judge on 15-04-2005 in W.P.25807/2004 quashed the 2004 Final Notification; Division Bench on 25-11-2005 in W.A.2624-2626/2005 and W.A.2757/2005 gave liberty to apply for deletion; Supreme Court in Bondu Ramaswamy (2010) affirmed with directions; State issued Final Notification on 18-06-2014 deleting many lands; Single Judge on 27-09-2021 in W.P.51929/2014 upheld acquisition but constituted Committee to verify deletions.
Issues
Whether the impugned order dated 20.05.2024 passed by the Committee is liable to be quashed and whether the schedule property has been dropped from acquisition.
Judgment Excerpts
Petitioners are said to be the owners of the lands bearing Survey Nos.17/1, 18, 19, 20 and 26 of Hennur Village, Kasaba Hobli, Bangalore, in all measuring 26 acres 12 guntas
Learned Single Judge of this Court vide judgment and order dated 15.04.2005 allowed the writ petition and quashed the Final Notification dated 23.02.2004.
The Supreme Court affirmed the directions of the Division Bench subject to the following further directions and clarifications:
the learned Single Judge was of the view, that the claims for exemption from notifications are required to be examined afresh and for ensuring that there would be a clear and absolute transparency in the said process, a Committee was constituted
the said agreement is held to be invalid under the provisions of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act
Procedural History
Preliminary Notification for acquisition of schedule property issued on 03.02.2003. Objections filed by Smt. Divya Devi on 17.03.2003. Final Notification issued on 23.02.2004. M/s. THDCL challenged the final notification in W.P.25807/2004; Single Judge on 15.04.2005 quashed the final notification. BDA and M/s. THDCL filed writ appeals; Division Bench on 25.11.2005 partly allowed W.A.2757/2005 granting liberty to apply for deletion based on government policy. Representations made to BDA. BDA challenged the Division Bench judgment before Supreme Court; Supreme Court in Bondu Ramaswamy (2010) affirmed with further directions. Based on directions, BDA proposed deletion of about 944 acres and modified scheme submitted to government. State Government issued Final Notification on 18.06.2014 deleting schedule lands. Subsequent batch of writ petitions challenged 2014 notification; Single Judge on 27.09.2021 in W.P.51929/2014 upheld acquisition but constituted Committee to re-examine deletions. Committee took up petitioners' case and passed impugned order on 20.05.2024. Present writ petition filed challenging said order.
Acts & Sections
- Constitution of India: 226, 227
- Karnataka Land Reforms Act:
