Rajeev Chandrasekhar Accused in Karnataka 500 Crore Land Scam

Bengaluru: BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been accused of involvement in a land scam worth approximately 5 billion rupees in Karnataka. The complaint alleges that land originally allocated by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for industrial purposes to electronics firm BPL India Limited was misappropriated, and calls for a special investigative team to probe the matter.

The petition, filed through Delhi-based lawyer K N Jagadesh Kumar, urges the Karnataka government to investigate Rajeev Chandrasekhar, his wife Anju Chandrasekhar, Ajith Gopal Nambiar, and BJP leader and former minister Katta Subrahmanya Naidu. It also targets BPL India Limited. Anju Chandrasekhar is the daughter of T P G Nambiar, founder of the BPL group.

According to the complaint, in 1995 KIADB allotted 175 acres of agricultural land in Nelamangala, Dobbaspet, to BPL for establishing a manufacturing unit for colour TVs, tubes, and batteries. However, the petition claims no industrial development took place on the land until 2004.

In May 1995, KIADB provided possession documents for 149 acres to BPL India Limited, with agreements signed in April 1996. Ajith Gopal Nambiar and Anju Rajeev Chandrasekhar reportedly mortgaged the land to secure loans. With the assistance of then BJP minister Katta Subrahmanya Naidu, the company allegedly obtained authority to sell the land, which was later sold in multiple stages for substantial sums.

The complaint further states that in 2011, 87.3275 acres were sold for 2.7547 billion rupees, while over 33 acres were sold to Maruti Suzuki India Limited in 2009–10 for 310 million rupees. In 2011, more than three acres were sold to BIOSCI India Limited for 40 million rupees, and 25 acres were sold to Jindal Aluminium and Limited for 335 million rupees.

The petitioner has called on the Karnataka government to take immediate action and conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged land transactions.