Bengaluru, July 16, 2025 — In a landmark judgment that reinforces the finality of government land acquisition processes, the Karnataka High Court has dismissed a writ petition challenging the auction of a site acquired over five decades ago for the formation of the HAL 3rd Stage layout in Bengaluru.
The petitioner, 75-year-old Venu, had sought to stop the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) from auctioning a parcel of land — Site No.828 in Sy.No.54/1, Thippasandra Village — which he claimed to have been in possession of since purchasing it in 1995.
The acquisition, however, dated back to 1971, initiated under the City of Bangalore Improvement Act, 1945. Justice M. Nagaprasanna, presiding over the case, ruled that Venu, as a subsequent purchaser, had no legal standing to challenge the acquisition.
“The law is crystal clear — a purchaser of land after issuance of a preliminary or final acquisition notification cannot challenge the acquisition,” stated Justice Nagaprasanna, citing Supreme Court precedents including Meera Sahni v. Lt. Governor of Delhi and M. Venkatesh v. BDA.
The Court observed that the petitioner failed to establish ownership or even prove that Site No.828 was excluded from the original acquisition plan. Notably, the sale deeds presented did not even reference the specific site or survey number in question.
Furthermore, the court criticized the delayed challenge — filed 53 years post-acquisition and 30 years after the petitioner allegedly took possession.
The ruling dissolves the interim stay previously granted against the e-auction notification dated September 16, 2023, and clears the way for BDA to proceed with the auction.
Legal experts say the verdict reaffirms that buyers must perform due diligence when dealing with lands listed under acquisition and cannot expect relief decades later.
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TAGS: Bangalore Development Authority BDA land acquisition Karnataka High Court HAL 3rd Stage Site 828 Sy.No.54/1 writ petition dismissed subsequent purchaser Venu vs State of Karnataka
