SIT to probe alleged 291-acre land encroachment by Art of Living in Kaggalipura

The Karnataka government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged encroachment of over 291 acres of public and grazing land by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation in Kaggalipura village, Bengaluru South taluk. The government issued the order on Tuesday following a High Court case and a land survey that flagged unauthorized constructions on government land, lakes, and stormwater drains.

The 11-member SIT will be headed by senior IAS officer Amlan Aditya Biswas. The team is tasked with probing how the lands were encroached upon, verifying land grant documents, and identifying public roads, water sources, and other common land allegedly occupied by the foundation and its allied groups.

According to the government order, the Art of Living Foundation has built a compound wall enclosing 291 acres and 38 guntas of land, which includes 60 acres leased to it by the government. The lease for 41 acres of this land expired in 2015, while the lease for the remaining portion is set to expire in 2033.

The dispute traces back to 2023, when three residents—Chandrashekar N, Mahesha B, and Muniraju S—filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court. They alleged that the foundation had constructed buildings over a stormwater drain and encroached upon a local lake.

Following the court petition, a survey conducted in October 2025 revealed that the foundation had encroached land beyond the limits of the land leased to it. The survey identified encroachments in survey numbers 160, 164/1, 164/2, 150, and 137 in Kaggalipura.

The government order noted that the majority of the lake in survey number 150 had been encroached upon. It also stated that local residents and agents of the foundation had repeatedly obstructed official attempts to conduct lawful surveys of the property.

In 2025, the Karnataka High Court directed the state revenue department to clear the unauthorized constructions. Petitioner Chandrashekar N stated that they had compiled extensive documentation regarding the lake and stormwater drain encroachments before moving the court.

The SIT's investigation will also cover related organizations accused of encroachment alongside the foundation. These include the Veda Vijnana Maha Vidayapeeta Institute, Sumeru Global Support Solutions Private Limited, and Sumeru Realty Private Limited.