When South First contacted Rajeev Chandrasekhar's lawyer, advocate Sanjay Prabhu in Bengaluru, he clarified that Rajeev Chandrasekhar has had no association with BPL for the past two decades.
Published Oct 15, 2025 | 10:52 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 15, 2025 | 10:52 PM
Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar. (Supplied)
Synopsis: According to the petition, KIADB had granted 175 acres of acquired farmland from farmers at Nelamangala in Dobbaspet for the establishment of a BPL colour television, tube, and battery manufacturing unit. The land allotment letter was dated 7 April 1995, and farmers were paid ₹1.1 lakh per acre as compensation. However, the complaint states that no industrial development took place at the site until 2004.
A Delhi High Court advocate, KN Jagadesh Kumar, has submitted a formal appeal to the Karnataka government seeking the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged large-scale irregularities in land allotments made by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB).
In his representation addressed to Commerce and Industries Minister MB Patil and Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, the advocate urged the state government to order a SIT probe against BPL India Ltd., and named individuals- Ajit Gopal Nambiar, BJP Kerala chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Anjali Rajeev Chandrashekhar, and former Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar is married to Anju Chandrasekhar, the daughter of TPG Nambiar, the founder of BPL Group.
According to the petition, KIADB had granted 175 acres of acquired farmland from farmers at Nelamangala in Dobbaspet for the establishment of a BPL colour television, tube, and battery manufacturing unit. The land allotment letter was dated 7 April 1995, and farmers were paid ₹1.1 lakh per acre as compensation.
The KIADB issued a possession certificate to BPL India Ltd. on 23 May 1995, for 149 acres and 5.5 guntas, followed by a registered lease deed executed on 17 April 1996.
However, the complaint states that no industrial development took place at the site until 2004.
Instead, BPL India Ltd., represented by Ajit Gopal Nambiar and Anjali Rajeev Chandrashekhar, allegedly mortgaged the land to the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, for which KIADB granted permission on 7 January, 2004.
Later, the company reportedly approached KIADB and then Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, seeking permission to convert the lease into an absolute sale. Consequently, KIADB executed a sale deed in favour of BPL India Ltd. on 28 November 2006.
According to the complaint, the company later sold substantial portions of the allotted land to major industrial players — 87.3275 acres to Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. on 25 February 2011, for ₹275.47 crore; 33 acres and 14 guntas to the same company in 2009–10 for ₹31 crore; 3 acres and 36.83 guntas to BOC India Ltd. in 2011 for ₹4 crore; and 25 acres and 5.5 guntas to Jindal Aluminium Ltd. in 2011 for ₹33.5 crore.
The advocate alleged that over the past 55 years, the KIADB has acquired more than 1.55 lakh acres of farmland, but over 70 percent of these acquisitions were not used for genuine industrial purposes. Instead, they were allegedly diverted under the guise of development, facilitating widespread real estate and farmland scams.
Advocate Jagadesh Kumar has urged the Congress-led Karnataka government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to establish an SIT to investigate the alleged irregularities, recover misused land, and prosecute those responsible — including ”fake allottees like BPL India Ltd.”
He stressed that a transparent probe is crucial to uphold the integrity of industrial land allotments and safeguard public assets from exploitation.
#Kerala: Complaint filed against former minister #RajeevChandrasekhar‘s family over alleged ₹500 crore land grab
Advocate #KNJagadish has filed a complaint against the family of Suvarna News proprietor Rajeev Chandrasekhar, alleging the illegal grabbing of 150 acres of land in… pic.twitter.com/F6CiCh9Lev
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) October 15, 2025
When South First contacted Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s lawyer, advocate Sanjay Prabhu in Bengaluru, he clarified that Rajeev Chandrasekhar has had no association with BPL for the past two decades.
When asked about the alleged involvement of Chandrasekhar’s family members, the lawyer said he was not aware of the specifics and would need to review the complaint in detail before commenting further.
Meanwhile, a close aide of Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismissed the allegations as an attempt to ”create unnecessary controversy ahead of the upcoming Kerala elections,” suggesting that the timing of the complaint was politically motivated.
However, in September 2025, farmers in Devanahalli raised alarm over the KIADB’s plan to acquire over 439 acres of fertile land in Hyadala and Gokere Bachenahalli villages, despite earlier government assurances that compulsory acquisition would end.
Notices were issued to 79 farmers on 29 August, prompting strong resistance from the Channarayapatna Land Acquisition Protest Committee.
Adding to the tensions, the Karnataka High Court recently ruled that the KIADB—not local gram panchayats—has the authority to collect taxes in industrial areas until a formal government notification is issued.
The board has also drawn criticism from farmers in other projects, such as Haraluru Industrial Estate, where families fear displacement despite the Chief Minister’s public assurance to halt such acquisitions.
Further controversy surrounds a new policy proposal that seeks to reserve 20 percent of industrial land for specific caste categories (1, 2A, and 2B), which has faced pushback from within the government itself.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
