Karnataka HC refuses to halt proceedings against HD Kumaraswamy in land grab case

The Karnataka High Court has refused to stay proceedings against Union minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy in an alleged land grab case in Kethaganahalli in the state’s Ramanagara district, The Indian Express reported on Friday.

The former Karnataka chief minister has been accused of encroaching on six acres of government land in Kethaganahalli and was issued a show cause notice about it by the Ramanagara tehsildar on March 18, Deccan Herald reported.

Kumaraswamy, however, claimed that he legally purchased multiple plots in the village between 1985 and 1987 through registered sale deeds.

In a petition in the court questioning the legality of the notice, the Janata Dal (Secular) leader noted that all documents confirmed that both he and the sellers had valid ownership rights, The Hindu reported. Kumaraswamy said that he had been in lawful possession of the land for nearly 40 years.

He added the tehsildar had no jurisdiction to issue the notice as such a power was vested only with the assistant commissioner under the provisions of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, according to The Hindu.

On Tuesday, a single bench of Justice NS Sanjay Gowda said that since the tehsildar’s notice was a show cause notice, a response must be submitted first, The Indian Express reported.

“In my view, obviously, the tehsildar would consider the objections that are filed...

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