Way back in 1944, the Maharaja of Mysore acquired a piece of prime land in Bengaluru for stablishment of a tuberculosis sanatorium. The land, worth several crores and belonging to SDS Tuberculosis Research Centre and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, would have almost been lost had it not been for the intervention of the high court. Stepping in to safeguard the property meant for public purpose, the high court recently foiled attempts by a few unscrupulous people claiming that a part of land had been actually granted to them. The court took into account the order of a special deputy commissioner, who observed that these people had fraudulently obtained orders by suppressing the facts.
Observing that a few made hectic efforts to knock off valuable property worth crores by suppressing facts related to acquisition of the property for the purpose of a sanatorium, Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh has directed the State government to ensure that the property is made available to SDS Tuberculosis Research Centre and RGICD, and to file action-taken report before October 17. The petitioner, R. Lakshama represented by his GPA holder Appa Swamy, had approached the court seeking to quash the order of the special deputy commissioner and to hold that the grant made in favour of him is legal and that he is entitled to secure the revenue records mutated in his name in respect of 3.08 acres of land on Survey No. 24/2.
The property, which consists of 4.18 acres, originally belonged to one Muninanjamma, out of which 18 guntas is kharab land. Records reveal that the original landlord has also approached the civil court in reference seeking for enhancement of compensation and only thereafter, possession of the land was taken by the then Maharaja.