Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara with leaders of Dalit organisations in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
\| Photo Credit: special arrangement

The Karnataka government has constituted a 11-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Bengaluru Regional Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas to probe the alleged grabbing of government land by the Art of Living ashram and its affiliate organisations on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

According to a Government Order issued on July 17, the SIT has been given three months to complete investigation and submit report to the government. As per the notification, which cites the survey by Assistant Director of Land Records in October, 2025, about 290 acres of government land in the area were found to have been encroached.

The areas identified are in the villages of Kaggalipura, B.M. Kaval, Agara and Uttari. The probe has been ordered under provisions of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act and the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act.

Dalits’ land

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, who also holds the Revenue portfolio, on Tuesday disclosed that the SIT would also look into allegations that the AoL, founded by Sri Sri Ravishankar, was in possession of 150 acres of land granted to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) persons.

The Deputy Chief Minister told presspersons that he had informed leaders of Dalit communities, who had met him on Tuesday, that an SIT would probe this issue.

“Several complaints had been received earlier. Based on these complaints, an SIT has been constituted by the Revenue Department to investigate the matter,” Dr. Parameshwara said.

Backlog posts

Speaking on filling vacant seats, Dr. Parameshwara said that steps would be taken to fill backlog vacancies in universities and other major government departments. He made the assurance to leaders of various Dalit organisations who met him in Bengaluru.

“Our government is filling 72,000 posts in which SC and ST candidates will receive reservation in accordance with the law. But several posts earmarked for reserved categories have remained unfilled. These backlog vacancies, including those in universities and major departments, will be filled. The matter will be discussed with the Chief Minister,” he told presspersons after interacting with Dalit leaders.

The organisations also stated that student scholarships were neither being disbursed on time nor were they adequate.

Published - July 21, 2026 11:29 pm IST