The Karnataka High Court has called upon the State government to provide a response regarding a public interest litigation (PIL) that contests the planned relocation of the Bangalore Turf Club to Kunigal Stud Farm. The case, titled Vijay Nishanth v Union of India, was presented before a Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice KS Hemalekha. The PIL, filed by environmental activist Vijay Nishanth, questions the decision to allocate 110 acres of the Kunigal Stud Farm for the Bangalore Turf Club’s operations.
The Court has emphasized that the primary issue is the transition of the race course, which is a commercial entity, to land historically used for horse breeding purposes. During the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath informed the Court that the State had reached out to the National Biodiversity Authority in Chennai to ascertain if the land qualifies as a biodiversity site. Kamath highlighted that the jurisdiction of this matter falls under the State and the Karnataka Biodiversity Board, in line with the necessity for central government approval.
Senior Advocate Sriram Panchu, representing the petitioner, argued that obtaining approval from the Central government is mandatory. The Court has scheduled the next hearing for July 15.
In another related case, social activist and architect Sharan Desai filed a PIL urging the Court to direct the State to allocate 30 acres within Bengaluru for a new High Court complex. Advocate General K Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the State, had previously informed the Court that the government is considering the allocation of land from the Turf Club premises for this purpose. “There is a plan to allocate land from the Turf Club in Bengaluru next week for the construction of a new High Court building,” Shetty stated, adding that a meeting with the Turf Club management is on the horizon.
The Bench commented on the importance of designing the proposed judicial complex to accommodate long-term needs. “The new building should be constructed in a way that meets the needs of the next 30 to 50 years,” Chief Justice Bakhru remarked.
