Karnataka - Belgaum   

Hearing on land deals put off

Staff Correspondent

None of 12 respondents turned up; case posted to July 3

Belgaum: None of the 12 respondents in the case pertaining to alleged shady land deals involving influential Congress leaders from the district turned up for the hearing on Tuesday forcing the Assistant Commissioner and in-charge Deputy Commissioner Vijaykumar N. Torgal to post the case to July 3 for the second time.

Earlier, the case was adjourned on June 12 and posted for next hearing on June 26 as the Assistant Commissioner, who is also Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Land Tribunal) himself could not attend the court. The respondents were represented by their advocates.

The case pertains to purchase of 521 acres and 2 guntas of malki lands in survey no. 69 of Gavali in Khanapur taluk.

The Assistant Commissioner on June 26 issued notices to 12 persons namely Jayashree Ramesh Jarkiholi, Santosh Ramesh Jarkiholi, Amarnath Ramesh Jarkiholi, who are family members of Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi of Gokak; Asha Shyam Ghatage and Raju Shyam Ghatage of Raibag where the former is wife of the former Chairman of Karnataka Army Development Corporation Shyam B. Ghatage; the former Mayor of Belgaum City Corporation Sambhaji Rao Patil, Ujwala Sambhaji Patil and Sagar Sambhaji Patil. The four others are Vinayak Veerangouda Patil, Vasant Veerangouda Patil (brother-in-law of Ramesh Jarkiholi) and Shankarrao Abaji Powade (all three from Gokak), Madhu Dhondiba Babar of Raibag to appear or depute their counsel in his court.

Dr. Torgal had taken up an inquiry to ascertain genuineness and fairness of these mutations allowed by the office of Deputy Tahsildar, Khanapur, on June 26, 2006. The hearing was scheduled to look into the report which had been submitted to the Government.

Official sources told The Hindu that certain excavation works had been taken up in these lands but were stopped after Mr. Torgal started enquiring into the matter.

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