Karnataka Minister Accuses Kumaraswamy of Fraud in Land Denotification Case

By A Staff Reporter

Bengaluru: Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has leveled serious allegations against former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy regarding a land denotification case. Speaking at a press conference, Gowda detailed the timeline and irregularities surrounding the 1.11 acres of land acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in 1976.

Gowda claimed that in 2007, an individual named Rajshekharaiah, who is allegedly untraceable and unrelated to the land, submitted a petition to then-CM Kumaraswamy seeking denotification of the land. Despite clear recommendations from officials that the land could not be denotified, Kumaraswamy reportedly asked for the file to be reviewed.

The minister revealed that while Kumaraswamy’s government was in office, his mother-in-law entered into a General Power of Attorney (GPA) arrangement with the original landowners for the property. After Kumaraswamy’s government fell, BS Yediyurappa became the Chief Minister and, despite the Principal Secretary’s objections, moved to denotify the land. Gowda alleged that Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law subsequently acquired the property.

“This is a fraud committed on public interest,” Gowda declared, urging Kumaraswamy to address several questions regarding the legitimacy of Rajshekharaiah’s petition, the GPA agreement, and the denotification process. He also called for the Lokayukta to expedite its investigation into the matter, which has been under scrutiny following a High Court ruling that dismissed Yediyurappa's attempt to quash the inquiry.