Mysore: Palace Intrigues – The first case of gifting of land to one B K Sunder based on a donation by royals in 1961 and a confirmation deed dated December 7, 2013, executed at Mysore Race Club when he was not present there was unearthed by the Lok Ayuktha. Arrests have already been made in the case.
Pramoda Devi Wadiyar wife of the late Maharaja of Mysore, who died on December 10th last year, has now filed two more complaints with the Lok Ayuktha that have prompted the Lok Ayuktha to investigate all such cases. It promises to open a Pandora’s box. These two complaints pertain to two prime properties – one to a land supposedly gifted to one Javara Shetty in 1971 and another to one V C Venkatesh. The two complaints suggest that the BK sunder case modus operandi – a forged gift deed – was used in two other cases.
In the first complaint pertains to a confirmation deed dated May 28, 2012, Srikanta Datta gifted 60,000 sq ft land in Mysore in favour of Javara Shetty through a deed dated March 4, 1971. The complaint says that the controversial gift deed dated March 14, 1971 was executed through documents that date back to pre-independence period and there are no registered revenue documents thereafter showing the gift deed coming into force. The confirmation deed dated 28 May 2012 was executed based on an unregistered gift deed that dates back to 1971 and has no value. The confirmation deed is executed on May 28, 2012, the registration of deed is done on December 31, 2012 and has no details on where, when, and how the signatures / thumb impressions of Shri Srikanta Datta Wadiyar were taken.
The second complaint, pertains to the gift deed dated 25 April 2013, in which the Maharaja gifted a piece of land in Kurubarahalli measuring 3,26,700 sq ft to V C Venkatesh. In her complaint , Pramoda Devi, besides pointing to suspicious documents, has observed that like in the first case that led to the arrests, here too the Maharaja was not actually present at Mysore Race Club on the day gift deed was registered on May 8-9, 2013, though the deed claims so.
Palace leaks – The century old Amba Vilas palace, a huge tourist attraction is leaking water from its roof, even at its main entrance, and weeds are growing from cracks in its walls, but the palace board, the apex authority responsible for its maintenance has turned blind on the subject
Tourist hassles – Shopkeepers that cater to tourists’ needs are instead extorting from them. They charge much more than the MRP printed on the items they sell and allegedly they do that to make up the Rs: 30000 rent they pay for the shops they run. It is reported that they also have to pay the monthly “mamool” to the office-bearers of their association which has been constituted to “safeguard the traders’ interests!”
Tourists have to face a rather unaesthetic and unhygienic sight – The pile up of garbage that includes packaging, plastic bags and bottles and eatables, that is not disposed off on a daily basis.
