₹160 crore BDA land grab attempt in Bengaluru; FIR filed against five
Bengaluru, : An alleged attempt to illegally encroach government land worth ₹160 crore belonging to the Bangalore Development Authority has come to light in Bengaluru. Based on the complaint, an FIR has been registered at the Seshadripuram Police Station against five individuals, including Lakshminarayana and Maruti Kumar.
According to officials, the case relates to an attempt to encroach upon BDA land located in Kothanur area in South Bengaluru using forged documents. The complaint was filed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Hanumantharaya, who initiated an inquiry after receiving inputs regarding suspected fraud.
The land in question measures around 10 guntas and falls under Survey Numbers 177/1 and 176/1. Authorities stated that BDA had acquired the property through a final notification issued in October 1994. The acquisition process was legally approved in December 1995, and the land was later handed over to the engineering division in 1999.
Importantly, the Karnataka High Court had upheld BDA’s ownership of the land. Additionally, compensation had already been paid in 1996 to the legal heir of the original landowner, Mariyamma, leaving no ambiguity regarding the authority’s claim.
Despite this, the accused allegedly fabricated General Power of Attorney (GPA) documents in an attempt to take control of the land. The issue surfaced after a complaint by Harshavardhan to BDA authorities, raising suspicion over the authenticity of documents related to the property.
Following a detailed investigation, the DYSP confirmed that fake documents had been created and recommended filing of the FIR. Police have registered two separate cases due to the involvement of different survey numbers.
The investigation is currently underway, and authorities are examining whether a larger network of land fraud is involved. The case highlights the continuing threat of document forgery in urban land transactions and the need for stricter safeguards to protect public property.
