BENGALURU: Terming it “a case of showing favouritism as well as giving a go-by to all rules for obvious reasons”, the high court on Thursday quashed the absolute sale deed executed by the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) in favour of a Bengaluru-based charitable trust, headed by the wife a MP.
TheKHB has allotted the site without following the allotment regulations, a division bench observed, while directing the KHB to take back the land in 30 days.
Imposing Rs 1 lakh cost upon the KHB, the bench directed the principal secretary to the housing department to hold an inquiry and recover the cost amount from the erring officials, while pointing out there is collusion as the sale deed was executed 16 years after the allotment to overcome the conditions in the original allotment. The KHB had executed the sale deed on July 28, 2020 in relation to a 278 sqm of the site at 5th phase, Yelahanka New Town. The original allotment was made on August 23, 2004 to Murthy Charitable Trust, headed by Gayathri, wife of Umesh Jadhav, MP.
The trust had paid Rs 3,87,000 at that time towards 232 sqm of CA site. The allotment was for educational and public purposes and the construction has to be made in two years. However, no construction was done and no steps were taken for the cancellation of allotment either under KHB Act or KHB allotment rules.
Adinarayana Shetty from Koramangala challenged the sale deed, stating Rs 10 crore worth land has been parted with for just Rs 21,87,000. Counsel for the petitioner argued the trust has been favoured only because the president happens to be the MP’s wife.
