The Supreme Court of India has dismissed civil appeals filed by both parties in a long-standing land dispute between Sri R. Raghu (appellant) and Sri G.M. Krishna (respondent), thereby confirming the auction sale of disputed land in Agara Village, Bengaluru.
Background of the Case
The dispute dates back to the year 2000 when the Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC) sought to recover over ₹2.61 crore from Hoysala Thermo Farmers Pvt. Ltd., where G.M. Krishna was the guarantor. To enforce the decree, agricultural land measuring 5.5 acres in Survey No. 67, Agara Village, was put up for auction.
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In April 2003, R. Raghu emerged as the highest bidder, purchasing the land for ₹18.5 lakh. Later, a sale certificate was issued in his favour as Trustee of Ved Vignam Maha Vidya Peeth (VVMP) in 2005.
The case went through several rounds of litigation over two decades:
- 2006: Krishna challenged the auction, alleging Raghu bought the land as a Trustee and not as an agriculturist, violating the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961. The courts dismissed his plea due to delay.
- 2007 onwards: Krishna and his wife Arathi Krishna raised fresh objections over boundary issues, filing multiple writ petitions. The High Court repeatedly upheld Raghu’s ownership of Survey No. 67.
- 2014–2015: Fresh survey disputes and orders by the Tahsildar were quashed by the High Court, noting misuse of statutory powers and filing of repeated litigations to keep the matter alive.
- 2015: A District Court declared the 2003 auction null and void, holding that Raghu misrepresented himself. However, in 2020, Sections 79A, 79B, and 79C of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act were repealed with retrospective effect, weakening the fraud argument.
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The Karnataka High Court partly allowed Raghu’s petition in 2023. It upheld the auction but directed him to pay an additional ₹25 lakh per acre to Krishna and ordered a fresh survey of the property to fix boundaries.
On August 25, 2025, a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Prasanna B. Varale upheld the High Court’s decision and dismissed all appeals as well as the contempt petition.
The Court noted:
“The appellant cannot claim possession of more land than what was purchased in the auction and mentioned in the sale certificate.”
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On the issue of additional compensation, the Court observed:
“Considering the conduct of the appellant, whose dual role casts doubt on the entire proceedings, the additional amount directed by the High Court is well-deserved and justified.”
Case Name: Sri R. Raghu vs. Sri G.M. Krishna & Karnataka State Financial Corporation
Case Numbers:
- Civil Appeal No. 8544 of 2024 (by R. Raghu)
- Civil Appeal No. 8545 of 2024 (by G.M. Krishna)
- Contempt Petition (Civil) No. 657 of 2024
Originating Order: Karnataka High Court judgment dated 17.08.2023 in C.R.P. No. 539/2015
Date of Supreme Court Judgment: 25 August 2025
