Smt. Puttamma v. The State of Karnataka

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 20TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026 BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R DEVDAS

WRIT PETITION NO.33401 OF 2025 (KLR-LG)

BETWEEN:

SMT. PUTTAMMA W/O LATE CHANDRAEGOWDA, AGED ABOUT 75 YEARS, R/A S.BOMMADIHALLI VILLAGE, KASABA HOBLI, BELUR TALUK, HASSAN DISTRICT -573 128. …PETITIONER

(BY SRI. K.G. SADASHIVAIAH, ADVOCATE)

AND:

¶1THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY VIDHANA SOUDHA BENGALURU -560 001

2. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HASSAN DISTRICT HASSAN 573 201

¶3THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER SAKALESHPURA SUB DIVISION SAKALESHPURA-573 134

¶4THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER HEMAVATHI RESERVOIR PROJECT OFFICE OF THE LAND ACQUISITION DC OFFICE BUILDING HASSAN-573 201

Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA NC:(2026:KHC:10599( WP(No.(33401(of(2025( ( , ,,HC-KAR( ( ( ,

5., THE,TAHSILDAR, BELUR,TALUK, BELUR-573,115., ,

6., THE,INSPECTOR,OF,POLICE, D,C,R,B,DIVISION,HASSAN, C,E,N,CRIME,POLICE, HASSAN-573,201, …RESPONDENTS, , (BY,SMT.,NAVYA,SHEKAR,,AGA), , , THIS, WRIT, PETITION, IS, FILED, UNDER, ARTICLES, 226, AND,227,OF,THE,CONSTITUTION,OF,INDIA,,PRAYING,TO,CALL, FOR,THE,RECORDS,AND,QUASH,THE,ORDER,PASSED,BY,THE, R4, IN, CASE, NO., LND/YA, BHU., MA, (D)., 06/12-13, DATED,

29.08.2022,AT,ANNEXURE-A.,DIRECT,THE,R5,TO,RESTORE,THE, NAME, OF, THE, PETITIONER, IN, THE, REVENUE, RECORDS, IN, RESPECT, OF, LAND, MEASURING, 4.08, ACRES, IN, SY., NO., 59, BLOCK,4,OF,HONNENAHALLI,KABALU,VILLAGE,,KASABA,HOBLI,, BELUR,TALUK.,, , THIS, PETITION,, COMING, ON, FOR, PRELIMINARY, HEARING,,THIS,DAY,,ORDER,WAS,MADE,THEREIN,AS,UNDER:, CORAM:, HON'BLE,MR.,JUSTICE,R,DEVDAS, ,

ORAL ORDER The petitioner is aggrieved of the impugned order dated 29.08.2022 passed by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, Hemavathi Reservoir Project, Hassan, in case No.L.N.D/Ya.Bhu.Ma(D):06/2012-13.

¶2The petitioner claims to be the legal representative of Sri Chandregowda, who lost his lands due to submergence of his lands under water on the construction of Hemavati/Yagachi/Vatehole Reservoir Project. In terms of the scheme proposed by the State Government, a) person who lost land on account of submergence for the project, would not only be entitled for compensation but also entitled for grant of alternative lands to ensure that the livelihood of such agriculturists are not lost. Accordingly, 4 acres of land in Block No.1 of Sy.No.16 of Bettada Keshavi Village, Arehalli Hobli, Belur Taluk was granted. However, several irregularities were found in the matter of allotment of alternative lands. Action was directed by the State Government

having regard to such irregularities. The Special Land Acquisition Officer (for short 'SLAO') has passed the impugned order in respect of the petitioner cancelling the grant

¶3Having regard to the ground on which the impugned order has been passed, it is clear that the SLAO has cancelled the grant on one of the following grounds : a) Grant was made to a person who had not lost any land in submergence; b) Bogus grant order has been created, although

no such grant order was passed; c) Dual grant orders have been passed on the basis of one award passed by the SLAO; d) Such dual grant orders and fictitious grant orders have been passed during the tenure of Sri V.Srinivas Gowda or Sri B.A.Jagadeesh who were the then Special Land Acquisition Officers; e) Land granted is a forest land and not revenue lands and therefore it could not have been granted.

¶4The factual information and the ground on which the impugned order of cancellation has been passed by the SLAO is identifiable as one of the grounds noticed hereinabove. Therefore, all other observations made in the impugned order are hereby set aside as not specifically applicable to the petitioner. It is also a fact that the

impugned order of cancellation was passed without hearing the grantee and therefore, on the ground of denial of principles of natural justice alone, the impugned order of cancellation is required to be set aside.

¶5Consequently, this Court proceeds to pass the following:

ORDER

i) Writ petition is allowed in part.

ii) The impugned order dated 29.08.2022 in case No.LND/Ya.Bhu.Ma(D):06/2012-13 passed by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, Hemavathi Reservoir Project, Hassan, at Annexure 'A', is hereby quashed and set aside.

iii) The matter stands remanded back to the SLAO to reconsider the matter afresh after affording petitioner. The petitioner is permitted to submit any material to defend the order of grant.

iv) Insofar as the cancellation orders passed on the ground that the land in question is a forest land and not revenue land and therefore, it could not have been granted, the SLAO is required to reconsider the matter after securing the opinion from the forest department as well as the Revenue department. If ultimately it is found that the land

is a forest land, then alternative lands shall be granted to the petitioner.

v) Consequent to the restoration of the grant in favour of the petitioner, the revenue entries shall also be restored in the RTC.

Sd/- (R DEVDAS) JUDGE

PB List No.: 1 Sl No.: 27