Bengaluru, Jan 29 (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued an ordinance to assert its rights over the expansive Bangalore Palace grounds, which spans 472 acres and 16 guntas near Mehkri Circle here.

The move follows the state cabinet's decision on January 24 to reject the issuance of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) to the Mysuru royal family for acquiring nearly 16 acres of land within the palace grounds.

According to the state government, granting TDR for the Bangalore Palace grounds would not be in the best interests of the state.

The cabinet had expressed concerns that paying Rs 3,014 crore to acquire 16 acres of land for the development of just two kilometers of road would not be economically beneficial for the state.

The ordinance aims to regulate and determine the utilisation of the land under the Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1996, which vests ownership of the land with Karnataka. The total value of the entire 472-acre property has been assessed at Rs 11 crore as per the provisions of the Act.

“The constitutional validity of the Bangalore Palace Act has been upheld by the Karnataka High Court and there is no stay on the operation of the Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1996 (Karnataka Act 18 of 1996) by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the appeal,” the state government said.

It noted that the Supreme Court directive, on December 10, 2024, in a contempt case to grant transferable development rights in accordance with the prevailing guidance value of the adjoining areas will gravely impact the finances of the state.

The Civil Appeals relating to the constitutional validity of the Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1996 (Karnataka Act 18 of 1996) are pending consideration of the Apex Court and the grant of the transferable development rights will be an irreversible process, which will have a severe ramification on the state, the ordinance read.

“For the purpose of any infrastructure project, the State Government is empowered to utilise any portion of the Bangalore Palace, which is covered by section 4 of the Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1996 (Karnataka Act 18 of 1996),” it added.

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Hyderabad: A 16-year-old girl, Aliya Begum, lost her life after being attacked with stones while trying to protect her father from a mob lynching. The incident took place in Antarum village, Zaheerabad, Telangana. Police have arrested two accused in connection with the case.

What happened?

Muhammad Ismail, a resident of Antarum village in Zaheerabad, was allegedly urinating near the house of Veera Reddy and Vijay Reddy. This led to an altercation between them, after which Veera Reddy, Vijay Reddy, and around 40 others attacked Ismail.

Seeing her father being assaulted, Aliya intervened to protect him. However, the attackers pelted stones at her as well. Aliya sustained severe injuries and was hospitalised. After fighting for her life for three days, she succumbed to her injuries on February 15.

Initially, Aliya's parents had not filed a complaint. However, lawyers Afsar Jahan and Sujat approached the Superintendent of Police (SP) and provided details of the incident, following which a case was registered against the accused.

What did the police say?

Zaheerabad DSP P. Satthayya stated that the attack took place on February 11 when a verbal altercation over Muhammad Ismail urinating near a house escalated into a physical assault. Vijay Reddy and Veera Reddy, along with others, attacked Ismail. When Aliya intervened to save her father, the mob pelted stones at her.

Aliya was also suffering from cancer, which was discovered during the investigation. Her family had not informed hospital staff about the attack. Villagers later reported the incident to the police. Following a post-mortem, Aliya’s body was handed over to her family. Two accused have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

Demand for strict action against the accused

The incident has left the entire village in shock, with many demanding strict and immediate action against the accused.

Local MLA Kausar Mohiuddin, who visited the victim's family, stated that this brutal attack was not just on Aliya and her father but on the entire community. Amjadullah Khan of the ‘Majlis Bachao Tehreek’ demanded a judicial inquiry under a High Court judge, the arrest of all accused, ₹25 lakh compensation for the victim’s family, a government job for a family member, and housing under the Indiramma Housing Scheme.