The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ASI moves High Court over allotment of fort land in Bidar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 04, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

ASI moves High Court over allotment of fort land in Bidar

Staff Reporter

HIGH COURTROUND-UP

BANGALORE: The Land Tribunal of Bidar has granted a part of land within the famed medieval Bidar Fort to some beneficiaries and this has been challenged before the Karnataka High Court.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is in charge of the maintenance and upkeep of the fort built by the Bahmani Shahs who ruled over vast areas of north Karnataka, including the districts of Bijapur, Gulbarga, Bidar and Ahmednagar, has filed the petition challenging the grant of land within the fort.

The ASI said the fort was a protected monument and that nobody could tamper with it. It said the land within the fort could not have been granted under any circumstances. It said although the Assistant Commissioner had objected to the grant, members of the Land Tribunal had gone ahead with the grant.

It urged the court to quash the grant, saying that the fort was a heritage structure and that it must be protected. The court adjourned further hearing on the matter.

Demolish school

Justice Rammohan Reddy on Tuesday criticised the City Municipal Council of Gangavati for allotting a site in a civic amenity area designated for a park to a school.

Taking exception to the manner in which the site was allotted for the school, Justice Reddy directed that the school building, which had come up on the area, be demolished within six months. He asked the Director of Municipal Administration to take, within nine months, action against the officials responsible for allotting the site to the school.

Cross-examination

The State Public Prosecutor (SPP) on Tuesday continued with the cross-examination of Srinidhi before the Registrar, High Court (Vigilance). Srinidhi had filed a habeas corpus petition before the High Court seeking a direction to the police to produce Professor K.S. Venkatesh and Rukmini, who he claimed were detained after they lodged a private complaint against Sri Visvesha Thirtha of Pejawar Math and six others.

During the cross-examination, Srinidhi admitted that neither Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa nor the swamiji had assaulted him. He said the swamiji had asked him to ensure that the money taken from him (Seer) was returned.

Further cross-examination was adjourned.

Fiat to police

Justice A.C. Kabbin on Tuesday directed the police officials connected with the investigation of the Gownpalli murder case in which the former Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar is an accused to appear on time before the jurisdictional court in Srinivasapura to give evidence.

Justice Kabbin passed the order on a petition by Muniraju and others who had challenged an earlier court order directing that the trial be completed in six months. They said they were unable to get jobs and that the pendency of the trial was affecting their lives. The SPP submitted that the accused had no right to dictate terms to the prosecution.

Dismissed

Justice Rammohan Reddy on Tuesday dismissed a petition by the then president and member of the Robertson City Municipal Council questioning a communication by the then Municipal Commissioner Hanumanthappa to take action against them.

The petitioners said Hanumanthappa had been suspended from duty when he was the Commissioner of Kolar City Municipality.

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