Bengaluru, June 19 (IANS) The Karnataka government on Thursday issued an interim stay on the probe by the Special Task Force (STF) formed to investigate land encroachment charges against Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy.

A Bench headed by Justice E.S. Indiresh passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Union Minister Kumaraswamy challenging the SIT probe against him.

In his petition, Kumaraswamy contended that the formation of the SIT without a formal government notification was illegal. He urged the court to declare all actions taken by the SIT in connection with the case as null and void.

Senior counsels Uday Holla and N.V. Nishanth presented arguments on behalf of the Union Minister.

The Karnataka government had constituted the SIT in January to investigate the alleged encroachment of land in Ketaganahalli village near Bidadi town, located close to Bengaluru.

The Tehsiladar had given orders to vacate the six acre encroachment in the case. The government had appointed senior IAS officer Amlan Aditya Biswas as the head of the SIT.

The case pertains to alleged encroachment of 14.04 acres of government land on survey numbers 8, 9, 10, 16 and 79 at Ketaganahalli village.

The SIT formed to probe the case has Survey, Settlement and Land Records Joint Director, Additional Bengaluru Regional Commissioner, Tahsildar as its members and Tahsildar Grade-2 as a member secretary.

The order over formation of the SIT was issued on January 28 and it has been mandated to complete its probe in three months.

The government had asked the SIT to verify the genuineness of documents belonging to survey numbers 8, 9, 10, 16 and 79 at Ketaganahalli. The government has asked the SIT to initiate steps to clear the encroachment.

Union Minister Kumaraswamy, refuting the charges against him had alleged that the Karnataka government led by the Congress is trying to target him over accusations of encroaching on about 14 acres of government land.

Kumaraswamy alleged that the state government was deliberately conducting a survey of the disputed Ketaganahalli land to implicate him. “I am ready to face any investigation. I have all the documents to prove that the land is my property,” he asserted.

He further stated, “I purchased the Ketaganahalli land 40 years ago. The property has been surveyed more than 10 times, and multiple investigations have been conducted. I have been cleared of all charges. I am open to any probe, but a few local Congress leaders are trying to turn this into an issue.”

“There should be no doubt — I am being targeted. How long will they keep investigating me?” he questioned.

Speaking about the ongoing probe, Kumaraswamy said, “The investigation into my property was completed. Let them submit the report — I have nothing to fear. They are making an issue out of land that was purchased four decades ago.”

“I am aware of the series of meetings CM Siddaramaiah has held regarding this matter, and I know who attended them. He formed a five-member SIT. Initially, it was a police-led SIT, but now he has set up an SIT comprising IAS officers. I have nothing to hide and welcome any investigation. Unlike CM Siddaramaiah, I have never acquired government land by creating fake documents. He is in power, and he can do anything,” Kumaraswamy alleged.

The Karnataka government has maintained that the investigation into the alleged encroachment has been conducted on the orders of the High Court.

–IANS

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