Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner’s car seized in land acquisition case

In a dramatic turn of events, court staff on Thursday seized the official vehicle attached to the Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner’s office for failure to disburse compensation in a long-pending land acquisition case related to the establishment of a sewage treatment plant (STP) near Nandikur on the outskirts of Kalaburagi city.

The order was issued by Principal Senior Civil Judge K.S. Rotter in connection with the delayed payment of compensation as directed by the court. The vehicle (KA 32 G 9990) was attached following non-compliance with earlier orders.

According to sources, when court bailiffs arrived to execute the seizure, the car driver initially refused to hand over the keys. The bailiffs then arranged for a towing vehicle to remove the car, after which the keys were surrendered.

Senior officials, including the City Municipal Corporation Commissioner, the Additional Deputy Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner, rushed to the spot and held discussions with the petitioner’s counsel.

The case dates back nearly two decades. In 2005, around 30 acres of land were acquired near Nandikur for setting up the sewage treatment plant. Among those affected, Prakash Malkappa was a farmer who lost two acres of land and was reportedly paid only about ₹1 lakh as compensation at the time.

Challenging the compensation, the farmer approached the court. The court subsequently ordered payment of ₹6 crore as compensation for the two acres. However, the amount had not been disbursed, prompting the legal action.

Expressing displeasure over non-compliance and non-cooperation during the seizure process, the court directed the authorities, including the Deputy Commissioner, to take steps to disburse compensation by March 12.

The vehicle was later released conditionally subject to compliance with the court’s directions.