The Karnataka High Court has stayed the government order that constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations that Art of Living and other organisations encroached on government lands in south Bengaluru.
Justice ES Indiresh, passed an interim order passed on July 31 after a plea was filed by the Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth Trust (VVMVPT), an affiliate of Art of Living. Justice Indiresh said that the authorities appeared to have failed to conduct a mandatory joint survey in the presence of the trust before concluding that it had encroached on State land.
"It is also well settled principle in law that if any acquisition has been made against any person much less the petitioner herein as to the encroachment of the land belonging to the Government, under such circumstances, the joint survey has to be conducted in the presence of the persons aggrieved (VVMVPT) and thereafter, respondent-authorities have to take decision in the matter," the Court said, according to Bar and Bench.
The Court further held that the procedure prescribed under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 must be followed before determining that any government land has been encroached upon. It then stayed the Karnataka government’s order until the next hearing, saying due process had not been followed.
The Court has issued notice to the State government seeking its response. The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 17.
The July 17 government order had alleged that a revenue survey conducted in 2025 found encroachment of government gomala land located in Kaggalipura, BM Kaval and Agara villages in Uttarahalli hobli of Bengaluru South taluk.
The order had also constituted an 11-member SIT headed by Bengaluru Regional Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas to investigate the possession of 290.38 acres of land allegedly under the trust's control.