Activist petitions Governor, seeks minister Boseraju's ouster over alleged forest land encroachment

Bengaluru: Social activist Dinesh Kallahalli submitted a petition to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Monday urging him to recommend the state government to drop Minor Irrigation Minister N S Boseraju from the Cabinet over his alleged involvement in encroaching upon a five-acre reserve forest land in his wife Krishnaveni’s name in Raichur district.

In the petition, Kallahalli has charged that the minister colluded with a section of ‘land grabbers’ and formed a group to encroach a 16.21-acre reserve forest land in Raichur Beat village. “In this, five acres of land have been registered in the name of his wife Krishnaveni and a case in this regard was registered by the forest department in 2022-23. Krishnaveni is accused number 2 in this case,” he claimed in the petition. 

The land is valued at around Rs 4,000 per sqft. As a result of this, the total land value is estimated to be in crores of rupees, he said in the petition. 

Charges baseless, says Boseraju 

Dismissing the allegations, Minister Boseraju said the forest officials’ notice FOC (No 16/2022-23) has been quashed by the Kalaburagi Bench of the High Court and hence, the allegations made against him and his family are baseless and defamatory.

The minister added that in 2022, the forest department had issued a notice to approximately 1,700 acres of land owners, claiming it was part of the reserve forest. “We also received the notice (FOC No 16/2022-23).  This notice was legally challenged and subsequently quashed by the Kalaburagi Bench of the High Court in CRL P No 201608/2022 on April 18, 2023,” he claimed.

He emphasised that he held no public office in 1987 when the land in question was purchased.

“The land was acquired legally for agricultural purposes with all revenue documents, purchase deeds, and other necessary papers thoroughly verified before the sale. How could I possibly have influenced anything at that time when I became an MLA only in 1999 and am serving as a minister for the first time now?” he questioned.