BENGALURU: For the first time in Bengaluru, forest department officials filed an FIR against two senior KAS officers for mutating forest land. The forest officials filed an FIR against Assistant Commissioner (AC) MG Shivanna and Tahsildar Ajit Kumar Rai on October 17. They were booked for mutating 17.34 acres of forest land as revenue land worth over Rs 500 crore, in Kothanur village, Yelahanka, Bengaluru North.
It may be noted that in June 2023, Lokayukta police raided and arrested Rai in a disproportionate assets case. The Lokayukta had unearthed documents on 100 acres of land, SUVs worth Rs 2.5 crore and properties worth over Rs 2 crore.
On October 14, Shivanna was booked by Halasuru Gate police for the illegal transfer of 14.19 acres of government land in Uttarahalli, Bengaluru South. He was booked by Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda.
“We have been working on this case for a very long. These two officials were found to be directly mutating forest land in Bharathi Nagar. An FIR was registered under the Forest Conservation Act 1963, and Karnataka Forest Act. They have also violated a Supreme Court order which says that no forest land can be granted for non-forestry purposes without concurrence from the apex court,” a senior forest official told The New Indian Express.
As per forest department records in 1984, land on survey numbers 47 and 48, measuring 17.34 acres and 22.4 acres respectively, was given to the forest department by the then Deputy Commissioner, since it fell within 18km of the green zone.
The official said that in January 2023, on Rai’s appeal, Shivanna mutated 17.34 acres to the revenue department through a false court hearing.
Forest officials were not called for the hearing, and there was a unanimous declaration. Alert locals tipped off staffers on the ground about the mutation, and land being sold.
“Though there are cases of false conversion in other parts of Karnataka, and also instances of forest staffers being attacked, an FIR is being registered against serving KAS officers in Bengaluru for the first time. We are also working on filing cases and approaching courts to secure 22.4 acres of land, which was encroached through illegal grants,” the official said.
Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre had also informed the chief minister of the encroachment and case. Orders were issued to investigate the case and take stern action, following which an FIR was filed.