The Karnataka High Court has halted a state government directive that established a Special Investigation Team to probe allegations of illegal land occupation involving Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living ashram and its affiliated entities.
Justice E S Indiresh issued the interim stay on July 31 following a legal challenge mounted by the Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth Trust, an organization linked to the ashram. The court has scheduled the next hearing in the matter for August 17.
Judicial Grounds for the Interim Stay
In issuing the interim relief, the high court highlighted a procedural lapse by state authorities under Section 195 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act. The bench noted that officials failed to carry out a mandatory joint survey alongside trust representatives to demarcate the property boundaries before ordering the investigation.
Because the required statutory procedure was not observed prior to issuing the government order, the court determined that the execution of the state directive must remain suspended pending further judicial review.
Scope of State Directive and Encroachment Claims
The state government had issued an order on July 17 instituting an 11-member Special Investigation Team, headed by senior IAS officer Amlan Aditya Biswas. The panel was tasked with examining land grant documentation, reviewing alleged violations of lease conditions, and determining whether public roads, water bodies, and grazing lands had been unlawfully appropriated.
The government order followed an October 2025 survey report alleging that 291 acres and 38 guntas of public land—including areas designated for animal grazing, lakes, and natural drainage channels—had been enclosed by a compound wall. The disputed properties span survey numbers 160, 164/1, 164/2, 150, and 137 within Kaggalipura village in Bengaluru South taluk.
According to state documentation, the foundation was officially leased 60 acres of land. The lease term for 41 of those acres lapsed in 2015, while the agreement for the remaining parcel runs through 2033. Government records also state that previous efforts to conduct official surveys were repeatedly impeded by local representatives and agents connected to the foundation, particularly regarding public lake land in survey number 150.
The executive directive originated from earlier judicial proceedings initiated by public interest litigants Chandrashekar N, Mahesha B, and Muniraju S in 2023, who alleged that ashram structures were built over public water infrastructure and lake beds.
Ashram Denies Claims and Alleges Extortion
The Art of Living foundation has rejected all claims of land encroachment, maintaining that its operations remain entirely within legal boundaries.
According to statement issued by the foundation, an official government evaluation conducted four to five months prior confirmed that the organization physically occupies only 36 acres of the 60 acres granted by the state, with the remaining 24 acres yet to be handed over by authorities.
The foundation further attributed the investigative action to political malice and harassment, asserting that an elected member of the legislative council facing criminal charges orchestrated the complaints. Ashram representatives stated they have submitted evidence, including audio recordings of extortion attempts by external individuals, to government authorities while expressing full confidence in the judicial process.
