- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:31166 WP No. 23876 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 12TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R DEVDAS WRIT PETITION NO. 23876 OF 2025 (KLR-LG) BETWEEN: SRI. SRINIVASA SHETTY AGED ABOUT 54 YEARS, S/O. PUTTA SHETTY AND PUTTAMMA R/AT HULIKAL GRAMA, DODDAMAGGE HOBLI, ARAKALAGOODU TALUK, HASSAN KARNATAKA -573142. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. KRISHNAMOORTI L BHAT., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA REP BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, MS BUILDING, BENGALURU-560001. 2. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HASSAN DISTRICT HASSAN 573 201. 3. THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER HEMAVATHI RESERVOIR PROJECT DC OFFICE BUILDING, HASSAN 573201. Digitally signed by DHARMALINGAM Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:31166 WP No. 23876 of 2025 4. INSPECTOR OF POLICE CEN CRIME POLICE, DCRB DIVISION, HASSAN -573201. 5. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER SAKALESHPUR SUB DIVISION SAKALESHPUR HASSAN DISTRICT-573134 6. THE TAHSILDAR SAKALESHPURA TALUK, SAKALESHPURA HASSAN DISTRICT-573134. 7. THE ASST. DIRECTOR OF LAND RECORDS HASSAN DISTRICT HASSAN -573201 8. THE DEPUTY CONSERVATOR OF FOREST HASSAN DIVISION, HASSAN -573201 …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. SESHU.V., HCGP) THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 & 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUE A WRIT OF CERTIORARI OR ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE WRIT, BY QUASHING THE IMPUGNED ORDER DATED 01/08/2022 PASSED BY THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, HEMAVATHI RESERVOIR PROJECT, HASSAN, IN CASE NO.L.N.D/HE.JA.YO (D)-96/2017-18, ATTACHED HEREWITH ANNEXURE-A AND ETC. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:31166 WP No. 23876 of 2025 CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R DEVDAS ORAL ORDER The petitioner is aggrieved of the impugned order dated 01.08.2022 passed by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, Hemavathi Reservoir Project, Hassan, in case bearing No.L.N.D/He.Ja.Yo.(Da) : 98/2017-18. 2. The petitioner claims to be the son of Sri.Putta Shetty and Smt.Puttamma, who lost his lands due to submergence of his lands under water on the construction of Hemavati/ Yagachi/ Vatehole Reservoir Project. In terms of the scheme proposed by the State Government, a person who lost land on account of submergence for the project, would not only be entitled for compensation but also entitled for grant of alternative lands to ensure that the livelihood of such agriculturists are not lost. Accordingly, 4 acres of land in Block No.1 of Sy.No.201 of Arekere Village, Kasaba Hobli, Sakleshpura Taluk was granted. However, several irregularities were found in the matter of allotment of alternative lands. Action was - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:31166 WP No. 23876 of 2025 directed by the State Government having regard to such irregularities. The Special Land Acquisition Officer (for short ‘SLAO’) has passed the impugned order in respect of the petitioner cancelling the grant. 3. Having regard to the ground on which the impugned order has been passed, it is clear that the SLAO has cancelled the grant on one of the following grounds : a) Grant was made to a person who had not lost any land in submergence; b) Bogus grant order has been created, although no such grant order was passed; c) Dual grant orders have been passed on the basis of one award passed by the SLAO; d) Such dual grant orders and fictitious grant orders have been passed during the tenure of Sri V.Srinivas Gowda or Sri B.A.Jagadeesh who were the then Special Land Acquisition Officers; e) Land granted is a forest land and not revenue lands and therefore it could not have been granted. - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:31166 WP No. 23876 of 2025 4. The factual information and the ground on which the impugned order of cancellation has been passed by the SLAO is identifiable as one of the grounds noticed hereinabove. Therefore, all other observations made in the impugned order are hereby set aside as not specifically applicable to the petitioner. It is also a fact that the impugned order of cancellation was passed without hearing the grantee and therefore, on the ground of denial of principles of natural justice alone, the impugned order of cancellation is required to be set aside. 5. Consequently, this Court proceeds to pass the following: ORDER i) Writ petition is allowed in part. ii) The impugned order dated 01.08.2022 in case No. L.N.D/ He.Ja.Yo. (Da) : 98/2017-18 passed by the respondent-Special Land Acquisition Officer, Hemavathi Reservoir - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:31166 WP No. 23876 of 2025 Project, Hassan, at Annexure ‘A’, is hereby quashed and set aside. iii) The matter stands remanded back to the respondent-SLAO to reconsider the matter afresh after affording an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner. The petitioner is permitted to submit any material to defend the order of grant. iv) Insofar as the cancellation orders passed on the ground that the land in question is a forest land and not revenue land and therefore, it could not have been granted, the SLAO is required to reconsider the matter after securing the opinion from the forest department as well as the Revenue department. If ultimately it is found that the land is a forest land, then alternative lands shall be granted to the petitioner. - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:31166 WP No. 23876 of 2025 v) Consequent to the restoration of the grant in favour of the petitioner, the revenue entries shall also be restored in the RTC. Sd/- (R DEVDAS) JUDGE DL CT: JL