BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka has stayed the state government’s order constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged encroachment of land by Art of Living (AoL) and others.
Justice ES Indiresh passed this interim order, staying the impugned order of July 17, 2026, till August 17, the next date of hearing. Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth Trust had challenged the legality of formation of SIT. The SIT headed by Regional Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas was formed to probe the alleged encroachment of land bearing survey No 46 at Kaggalipura and surrounding villages in Bengaluru South district by Art of Living and others, and submit report in three months.
The court said it appears from the impugned order that the process or procedure has not been followed by the respondent as pointed out by the counsel for the petitioner. In that view of the matter, there shall be a stay of the impugned order till the next date of hearing, the court said, while issuing notice to the state government and others.
Referring to the order dated September 9, 2025, passed by the high court on a writ petition, the counsel for the petitioner contended that a special committee has been constituted under Section 195 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, to look into the encroachment, if any, made by the petitioner in respect of the land in question.
TTherefore, the authorities, without conducting a joint survey in the presence of the petitioner, cannot arrive at a conclusion that encroachment has been made therein. The petitioner has made an application seeking phodi and durasth in respect of the land in question, and the same is pending consideration before the respondent-authorities, the counsel argued while seeking stay for the order constituting the SIT.