New Delhi: The Supreme Court yesterday directed the Karnataka Government to deposit Transferable Development Rights (TDR) certificates worth Rs. 3,400 crore with the Court Registrar within a week for acquiring over 15 acres of land of Bangalore Palace Ground to widen Bellary and Jayamahal Roads.

A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Aravind Kumar hammered the Karnataka Government, by taking a serious view into its attitude of being not firm in its stand.

This follows the hearing of a batch of contempt petitions filed by the legal heirs of late scion of erstwhile Mysore Royal Family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and others.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan and Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty were among others representing Karnataka Government and its authorities, who contended that the Court must decide the main appeal in the matter, as the State has already succeeded before the High Court in this regard.

“After the promulgation of Ordinance, the State does not want to acquire 15 acres and 39 guntas of land,” Sibal said, pointing out that the acquisition was done in 1994, but the valuation is based on the year 2024. If the current TDR is allowed, the valuation of entire acquisition of 462 acres would be over Rs. 1 lakh crore for the State exchequer.

“There is one judgment (by the High Court) in our favour and an Ordinance. We took possession only in July 2024,” Sibal said.

Senior advocates A.K. Ganguli, Rakesh Dwivedi, Madhavi Divan and Gopal Sankaranarayanan opposed the plea, saying as on Dec. 10, 2024, the State authorities were found guilty of contempt.

Raja Chandra, member of the erstwhile Mysore Royal Family said, for now the State has escaped from the contempt of court charges, by assuring the Court that they would be depositing the TDR with the Court. With the sole motive of not giving the TDR to us, the State is deploying many other ways. But, the Royal Family has faith in the Court and is confident of getting justice.