Govt price for Eagleton land upheld by Karnataka HC

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court upheld the market value of Rs 982 crore fixed by the State Government for 77 acres and 19 guntas of land, encroached by Chamundeshwari Build Tech, which was incorporated in 1994 to develop a golf course under the banner of ‘Eagleton Golf Resort’, at Bidadi. 

Justice G Narendar dismissed the petition filed by Chamundeshwari Build Tech praying to quash the government order dated August 3, 2017, issued by the Revenue Department, along with the proceedings of the Cabinet Sub-Committee Meeting on May 30, 2016, which had assessed the market value of the land. 

It also rejected the petitioner’s plea to quash the endorsement dated August 7, 2017, issued by the Ramanagara DC, who has called upon the former to deposit the amount, apart from what has already been deposited, and further notified that the same be paid within one month, failing which the petitioner’s occupation would be deemed unauthorised and action will be initiated to take possession. 

The petitioner has also prayed the court to direct the government to consider confirming the accepted amount of Rs 12.35 crore as the market value for the land. Rejecting this, the court said the objection regarding maintainability of the petition is kept open, in view of the dismissal of the writ petition.

Meanwhile, the court stated that the petitioner can by no stretch of imagination be labelled as a bona fide litigant. Being a commercial entity and well aware of its rights and reciprocal duties, it has been deliberately using litigation as an instrument to give a cover of respectability to its illegal acts, it was observed.