Karnataka to Allocate Bangalore Turf Club Land for New High Court

The Karnataka government announced on Monday its intention to allocate the land currently occupied by the Bangalore Turf Club in Bengaluru for the construction of a new, modern High Court complex. This proposal aims to address the space constraints of the existing judiciary facilities by establishing a new campus on the prime property.

The submission was made by Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice KS Hemalekha. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by petitioner Sharan Desai, which specifically seeks a direction to the state government to earmark at least 30 acres of land in Bengaluru for a modern High Court campus.

During the hearing, Advocate General Shetty requested additional time from the court to officially place the government’s decision on record. He stated that a formal resolution regarding the land allocation would be passed by the state government shortly. Accepting this request, the Division Bench adjourned the matter and scheduled the next hearing for August 28.

The plan to utilize the turf club land follows a Cabinet decision taken in February to relocate the Bangalore Turf Club. Under that decision, the state government agreed to lease 110 acres and 20 guntas of land at the Kunigal Stud Farm, located in the Tumakuru district, to the turf club for a period of 29 years.

However, this proposed relocation has already run into its own legal challenges. Urban conservationist Vijay Nishanth has filed a lawsuit challenging the government's decision to move the club to the Kunigal Stud Farm. Nishanth contends that the relocation was approved without considering the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006. The High Court has already issued a notice to the state government regarding this environmental challenge, seeking its response.