.png){kind=small}
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
2 days ago
5
The Supreme Court on Thursday (July 17, 2025) directed an April 17 order of the Karnataka High Court impleading Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in a contempt case to be kept in abeyance.
The contempt case is related to allegations of large-scale encroachment of land by Mr. Kumaraswamy and his family.
A Bench headed by Justice Pankaj Mithal issued notice to the NGO, Samaj Parivartana Samudaya, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, which had first brought the allegations to the High Court.
The NGO had drawn the High Court’s attention to an interlocutory report from the State Lokayukta in 2011 against encroachment of government lands in Kethaganahalli village, Bidadi.
The High Court had closed the case in January 2020, banking on the then Attorney General’s assurance that the State would take action. However, the Lokayukta proceedings were subsequently closed citing lack of jurisdiction.
Mr. Kumaraswamy has maintained in the High Court that the land was purchased by him, and he was a political target for the Congress government in the State.
The present Congress regime in the State argued that the allegations were prima facie true.
A contempt case was filed in the High Court on the ground that the State did not comply with its assurance to take action against the encroachments as recorded in the January 2020 order. During this time, revenue authorities issued eviction notice to Mr. Kumaraswamy on the basis of the contempt proceedings.
Mr. Kumaraswamy, represented by senior advocate C.A. Sundaram, and advocates Balaji Srinivasan and Rohini Musa, had approached the apex court, arguing that he had been issued eviction notice on the basis of a contempt case in which he was not even a party. The lawyers had termed the turn of events as a “comedy of errors”.
The apex court had granted him liberty to approach the High Court with this plea. The High Court responded by impleading the Union Minister in the contempt proceedings in the April 17 order.
English (US) ·