Land Grabbing Allegations: Sam Pitroda and Others Accused in Karnataka

In a legal development on Monday, Congress Overseas Chief Sam Pitroda, also known as Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, along with others, has been implicated in a land-grabbing controversy involving government property in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The allegations concern the unlawful occupation of reserve forest land.

In 1996, the Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), co-founded by Darshan Shankar, secured a five-hectare tract of forest land in Jarakabande Kaval on a temporary lease from the Karnataka State Forest Department. Although renewed in 2001, the lease expired in 2011, yet occupancy reportedly continued illegally for over a decade. The land is said to be valued at over 150 crore rupees.

After a complaint was lodged with the Lokayukta and the Enforcement Directorate earlier this year, cases have been filed in the Special Anti-Land Grabbing Court. Sam Pitroda, while denying any asset ownership in India, has openly rejected claims of bribery and corruption against him, insisting on his integrity throughout various administrative roles.