Bengaluru, Jul 15: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed withdrawal of a plea against quashing of criminal proceedings against Energy Minister D K Shivakumar over denotification of land in Bengaluru.
A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan termed the special leave petition filed by social activist T J Abraham as “dismissed as withdrawn.”
A counsel, appearing for the activist, did not press for the petition after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Shivakumar, questioned the credentials of the petitioner. He pointed to the recent decision of a separate bench of the apex court to slap a whopping cost of Rs 25 lakh on Abraham for a “frivolous petition”.
The issue involved land at Benniganahalli in Bengaluru, measuring 5 acres and 11 guntas. The extent of land was notified for acquisition in 1984 for formation of a layout. But, when the final notification came to be issued, the particular portion was not acquired and the Bangalore Development Authority issued no objections for de-notifying it.
It was alleged that Shivakumar had in 2003 purchased the remaining extent of the land by abusing his position as a Cabinet Minister and subsequently entered into an agreement with a private company for development of the land.
The High Court of Karnataka had quashed the criminal proceedings initiated against Shivakumar on a private complaint filed by Abraham, who challenged it before the apex court.
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