Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Lokayukta probe into the Srigandada Kaval land controversy. The probe was initiated to go to the bottom of the entire transaction and the claims made by the family of late S. Suryanarayana Rao, the self-acclaimed freedom fighter, and to examine the entitlement of grant of land measuring 4 acres in Srigandada Kaval (at the junction of Kengeri Ring Road and Magadi Road).
“The land was given in favour of late freedom fighter’s son S. Sundaresh in 2013, who has carried on this long chain of litigation for the last 30 to 40 years, and deserves to be thoroughly investigated and inquired into,” the HC ordered, while disposing of the petition filed by Sundaresh, questioning the latest probe into the matter by the Lokayukta. The court observed, “The state’s largesse or the precious lands of the state can neither be allowed to be frittered away in the garb of respect to the freedom fighter, nor it can be allowed to be surreptitiously parted in favour of the private parties for extraneous considerations.” The court also stated that it will advisedly desist from making comment on the rights of the parties and since a fresh inquiry has been sought to be initiated by the state in the matter, any such observation may affect the inquiry.
