The statement criticised attempts to link Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar to the issue, calling it "politically motivated and false".
Published Oct 27, 2025 | 8:23 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 27, 2025 | 8:23 AM
BPL.
Synopsis: BPL Limited strongly denied recent media reports and a complaint alleging irregularities in a KIADB land allotment in 1995. BPL clarified that Chandrasekhar has no financial or official connection with the company.
Bengaluru-headquartered electronic company BPL Limited strongly denied recent media reports and a complaint alleging irregularities in a Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) land allotment in 1995.
The statement further criticised attempts to link Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar to the issue, calling it “politically motivated and false”. BPL clarified that Rajeev Chandrasekhar has no financial or official connection with the company.
Earlier, a Delhi High Court advocate, KN Jagadesh Kumar, 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 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, and named Ajit Gopal Nambiar, 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.
In a press release, the company said that the Supreme Court had already cleared the case in 2003, dismissing all allegations and confirming that the land allotment by KIADB and the Karnataka government was proper. The court had overturned a Karnataka High Court order and found no wrongdoing.
BPL also rejected claims that the company failed to develop the land, saying it invested over ₹450 crore at its Dobbaspet facility between 1996 and 2004 for manufacturing televisions and batteries.
The company said it will soon release photos as proof of the development.
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 complainant said 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.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman.)
