- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:34786 WP No. 3131 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 3RD DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R DEVDAS WRIT PETITION NO. 3131 OF 2025 (KLR-LG) BETWEEN: 1. SHRI B R LEELADHAR S/O LATE PUTTACHARI, AGED ABOUT 52 YEARS, R/AT DODDABEEKANAHALLI VILLAGE, HASSAN TALUKU AND DISTRICT – 573 201 2. SHRI MAHESHGOWDA S/O LATE RAJEGOWDA, AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS, R/AT HENNAVALLI VILLAGE, ARAKALGUDU TALUK, HASSAN DISTRICT – 573 128 3. SMT.GUNAMMA W/O RANGASWAMY, AGED ABOUT 34 YEARS, R/AT GEDDU VILLAGE, ARAKALGUDUTALUK, HASSAN DISTRICT – 573 128 4. SMT.KAMALAMMA W/O LATE MANJEGOWDA, AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS, R/AT AGANI VILLAGE, ARAKALGUDU TALUK, HASSAN DISTRICT – 573 128 …PETITIONERS (BY SRI. RAMESH YANKOBA, ADVOCATE) Digitally signed by JUANITA THEJESWINI Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:34786 WP No. 3131 of 2025 AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, M.S. BUILDING, BANGALORE – 560 001 REP/BY ITS SECRETARY 2. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, HASSAN DISTRICT – 573 214 3. TAHASILDAR SAKALESHAPUR TALUK, HASSAN DISTRICT – 573 134 4. THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER FOR HEMAVATI RESERVOIR PROJECT, HASANA – 573 214 5. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, SAKALESHAPURA, HASSAN DISTRICT – 573 134 6. THE SAKALESHAPUR DIRECTOR OF LANDS, HASSAN DIST. – 573 134 7. THE DEPUTY CONSERVATOR OF FOREST, HASSAN DIVISION, HASSAN – 573 201 8. THE SP HASSAN, DCRB DIVISION, HASSAN, (C. E. N.CRIME POLICE, HASSAN) HASSAN – 573 201 …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. MOHAMMED JAFFAR SHAH, AGA) - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:34786 WP No. 3131 of 2025 THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO QUASH THE IMPUGNED ORDERS DATED 24.03.2022, 30.07.2022, 26.04.2022 AND 25.07.2022 AT ANNEXURES-B, C, D AND E, RESPECTIVELY, PASSED BY THE RESPONDENT- SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, HEMAVATHI RESERVOIR PROJECT, HASSAN, WHEREBY CANCELING THE GRANTS MADE IN FAVOUR OF THE RESPECTIVE PETITIONERS AND ETC. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING IN ‘B’ GROUP, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R DEVDAS ORAL ORDER The petitioners are aggrieved of the impugned orders dated 24.03.2022, 30.07.2022, 26.04.2022 and 25.07.2022 at Annexures-B, C, D and E, passed by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, Hemavathi Reservoir Project, Hassan, whereby canceling the grants made in favour of the respective petitioners. 2. The petitioners No.1 to 4 claim to be the legal representatives of the respective erstwhile land owners, who lost their lands due to submergence of lands under water on the construction of Hemavati/Yagachi/Vatehole - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:34786 WP No. 3131 of 2025 Reservoir Project, which are more fully described in the petition. 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, the respective lands which are more fully described in the Petition Schedule were granted in favour of the petitioners. However, several irregularities were found in the matter of allotment of alternative lands. Action was 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 grantees/petitioners cancelling the grants. 3. Having regard to the grounds on which the impugned orders have been passed, it is clear that the SLAO has cancelled the grants of the petitioners on one of the following grounds: - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:34786 WP No. 3131 of 2025 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. 4. The factual information and the ground on which the impugned orders of cancellation have been passed by the SLAO is identifiable as one of the grounds noticed hereinabove. Therefore, all other observations made in the impugned orders are hereby set aside as not specifically applicable to the petitioners. It is also a fact that the impugned orders of cancellation was passed without hearing the grantees and therefore, on the ground of - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:34786 WP No. 3131 of 2025 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 orders dated 24.03.2022, 30.07.2022, 26.04.2022 and 25.07.2022 passed by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, Hemavathi Reservoir Project, Hassan, at Annexures-B, C, D and E, are hereby quashed and set aside. iii) The matter stands remanded back to the SLAO to reconsider the matter afresh after affording an opportunity of hearing to the grantees/petitioners. The petitioners are permitted to submit any material to defend the order of grants. - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:34786 WP No. 3131 of 2025 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 grantees/petitioners. v) Consequent to the restoration of the grant in favour of the grantees/ petitioners, the revenue entries shall also be restored in the RTCs. Sd/- (R DEVDAS) JUDGE DL