Karnataka High Court orders status quo in Bengaluru land dispute

The Karnataka High Court has ordered a status quo on a disputed 18-gunta parcel of land in Devarabisanahalli village, Bengaluru, and restrained the creation of third-party rights until the next hearing.

The dispute involves competing claims between the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) and a mortgage transaction involving Canara Bank. The KIADB maintains the land was acquired for its purposes following a final acquisition notification issued in February 2004. Under the KIADB Act, the petitioner, Royal Fragrances Pvt Ltd, contends the land vested in the state free from encumbrances.

However, the writ petition alleges that in October 2012, title deeds for the same property were deposited with Canara Bank’s Marathahalli branch to secure credit facilities totaling Rs 85 lakh. The petition also questions the bank’s handling of the matter, noting that after a complaint was filed in May 2026, the bank claimed it was unable to identify the loan or trace the mortgage details.