The Karnataka High Court on Friday ordered a notice to the Lokayukta to file its objections to the anticipatory bail petition filed by Housing Minister V Somanna and his wife Shailaja in the case of illegal denotification of 22 guntas of land in Naga Devanahalli in 2009.
The police have filed an FIR against the two along with former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and one D Lingaiah following directions from the Lokayukta court to initiate investigation in the case.
The complainant, Ravi Krishna Reddy, a software engineer, has alleged that Yeddyurappa denotified 22 guntas of land in Naga Devanahalli in 2009 in favour of an educational trust owned by Somanna's wife Shailaja.
It is alleged that the land was acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority in 1997. Seven years after the final notification, Lingaiah sold his share of the property in survey number 77 and 78 through a sale deed to Somanna's wife Shylaja.
In March 2005, a rectification deed was executed in favour of Shailaja to claim that the land had already been denotified. The complainant alleged it was a false deed as there are no records available in the official gazette.
Hearing the petition, Justice H Billappa directed the Lokayukta to file its objections, and adjourned the matter till December 5.