Lokayukta court orders probe against 5 IAS officers

BANGALORE: The Lokayukta Court here today ordered a probe against 13 officials including five of IAS cadre, on a private complaint alleging their role in granting permission for construction of a residential apartment on a land denotified for maintaining a plant nursery.

Judge N K Sudhindra Rao, admitting the complaint filed by Lakshminarayana, a former municipal councillor, and directed Bangalore Urban Superintendent of Police to investigate and submit a report by March 30.

The complainant alleged that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) notified 7.13 acres of land in Arakere village in Bangalore South Taluk in 1996, but the owners of the land secured denotification with an undertaking to maintain the land as a plant nursery in 2006.

However, the owners secured land converted into residential purpose from Revenue authorities suppressing the undertaking given to BDA and later managed to get a plan sanctioned from the BDA for constructing a residential apartment.

The complainant has named BDA Chairman Subir Harisingh, BDA Commissioner Bharatlal Meena, former BDA Commissioner Siddaiah, former Bangalore Urban Special Deputy Commissioner K S Ramegowda, former BDA special land acquisition officer M V Veerabhadraiah, G S Naik, a KAS officer and others as accused.