Kumaraswamy Questions Shivakumar Family Land Deals Near Bengaluru’s NICE Road

Kumaraswamy, in a post on social media, questioned the ownership of a Shobha apartment complex near the toll plaza and alleged that land transactions in the area were connected to Shivakumar, his family and his brother D.K. Suresh.

He specifically sought clarification about the identities and roles of individuals named Amasegowda, Bhagyalakshmi and Kempegowda in connection with the land transactions. Kumaraswamy also questioned how the land could have been acquired if portions of it had previously been notified for a government project and asked how the necessary no-objection certificates were obtained.

The Union minister further alleged that the development of the high-rise apartment complex represented property worth around Rs 2,000 crore. He also questioned why NICE had allegedly denied NOCs to some landowners whose properties were acquired for the project while approvals were purportedly secured for other developments.

Kumaraswamy claimed that landowners, including poor farmers, had faced difficulties obtaining NOCs and also referred to an alleged denial of an NOC to Siddaganga Mutt. He questioned how Shivakumar and members of his family could have acquired large parcels of land in the vicinity of the corridor.

The allegations form part of Kumaraswamy's broader campaign against the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor, popularly known as the NICE project. In recent days, he has questioned changes to the project's original framework, land acquisition and subsequent transactions involving properties in the corridor area.

Kumaraswamy has alleged that changes made to the project increased the land earmarked for the toll road from 6,999 acres under the original framework to about 9,469 acres under a revised plan. He has also questioned the acquisition and subsequent ownership of land involving Shivakumar's family members. These remain allegations made by Kumaraswamy and have not been established as wrongdoing by a court or investigating authority.

Shivakumar has rejected the allegations and defended his family's property holdings, saying his wealth and assets were acquired through legitimate business activities and disclosed to the appropriate authorities. He has also questioned Kumaraswamy's own family's land holdings in the NICE project area.

The dispute has escalated in recent days, with both leaders exchanging allegations over the history and implementation of the infrastructure corridor. Kumaraswamy has also alleged that Shivakumar was attempting to alter or take control of the project in cooperation with private business interests, while the Chief Minister has dismissed the accusations as baseless.

The NICE project was conceived as a major infrastructure corridor connecting Bengaluru and Mysuru, incorporating a peripheral road and associated infrastructure. Its implementation has involved extensive land acquisition across several parts of Karnataka and has been the subject of political and legal disputes for years.

Kumaraswamy has said he will continue to release documents relating to the project and has called for scrutiny of the land transactions and decisions taken over its implementation. The claims concerning individual landholdings, property valuations and alleged benefits remain disputed and would require verification from official land records and competent authorities.