BENGALURU: In big relief for Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, Supreme Court Friday permitted him to approach Karnataka high court in contempt proceedings in alleged encroachment of lands at Kethaganahalli village in Bidadi hobli of Ramanagara taluk. A part of the encroached land is said to be part of his farmland.
Faced with likely eviction from his properties, the JD(S) leader had challenged the series of orders passed by a division bench in contempt proceedings since Dec 2020 till Jan 29, 2025.
A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and SVN Bhatti, after hearing the counsel representing Kumaraswamy, said the apex court understood the predicament of the petitioner as he is not a party in the contempt proceedings but is facing the consequences of the same.
“We can give you liberty to go the high court. We do not want any parties to be subject to prejudice,” the top court said. On Jan 14, 2020, a division bench comprising then Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Hemant Chandanagoudar had disposed of the PIL filed by Samaja Parivartan Samudaya (SPS) organisation, after recording the statement of the then additional advocate general.
Hearing on contempt plea on April 3
The AAG had submitted that the order dated August 5, 2014, passed by Karnataka Lokayukta for removal of encroachments properties bearing survey no. 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17 and 79 and situated in the limits of Ketaganahalli, Bidadi hobli, within a period of three months.
As the same did not materialize, SPS filed a contempt petition. On Dec 21, 2020, a division bench headed by CJ Oka admitted the contempt petition, holding that the undertaking given to the court was not followed. Thereafter, the court has granted time for compliance on numerous occasions.
On March 18, 2025, the tahsildar of Ramanagara issued notice to Kumaraswamy regarding 6 acres of land. The notice is under challenge before a single bench of the high court and the govt has undertaken that no coercive action will be taken in the matter.
The contempt petition filed by SPS is scheduled to come up for hearing on April 3.