Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 18: The high court (HC) on Wednesday February 17, ordered the government to take back 1.9 acres of land that is the part of Utetarahalli pond, which was encroached for the construction of Rainbow hotel belonging to M Krishnappa, who represents Bengaluru south constituency.

The public interest litigation filed by Praja Hakkugala Vedike came up for hearing before a division bench of the HC headed by chief justice, A S Oka. The government advocate informed that as per survey report, 1.9 acres of the pond area had been used for the construction of Rainbow hotel building, road and park. The court wanted to know what steps have been taken to clear the encroachment. The advocate said that the tahsildar has been asked to initiate suitable steps. The bench asked him to file report on the steps taken to clear the encroachment before March 17, and posted the petition for March 18.

Krishnappa has been accused of illegally buying land which was notified in 1988 by Bangalore Development Authority in 1994. He had got the land denotified illegally. Later, he also illegally encroached 15.16 acres of land nearby for the Rainbow Hotel construction, the petitioner has claimed. He also said that complaints made to the chief minsiter, revenue minister, speaker, additional secretary of the government, Lokayukta, Anti Corruption Bureau etc have not yielded any fruits.

In the meantime, the government has appointedl MLA M Krishnappa as the president of Kanteerava Studio.