Harikrishna Bantwal to file complaint with Lokayukta against Rai

Mangaluru: After District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai denied the allegations of land grabbing levelled by former Congress leader Harikrishna Bantwal, the latter said, “I will file a complaint before Lokayukta against Rai for illegally grabbing the 10-acre government land.”

Addressing a press meet here on November 15, Bantwal said, “The 10 acres of land where Rai has cultivated rubber plantations is a government land and illegally obtained. The deputy commissioner should probe into this matter and survey this land. And also, I will file a complaint with Lokayukta against Rai for grabbing the government land by misusing the power.”

Refuting Ramanath Rai’s claim that the land was not a government land, Bantwal said, “I will prove that the 10-acre land in Kallige has been encroached upon by him and that it is a government land.”

“Rai has misused his power for the purpose and his wife gained the land under Akrama Sakrama Scheme after claiming that her annual income was only about Rs 6000”, he alleged.

Bantwal also alleged that Rai had 1.75 acres of land in Ambtadi and 4 cents of land in Bantwal Town worth several lakhs. He also said that he would also refer the case to ACB.

Questioning Rai as to whether he was originally a Congress man, Bantwal said, “When I was the secretary of Janata Party, Rai wore the attire of farmer with green head gear (mundasu) and saffron dothi and carried a plough in a procession to Nehru Maidan during Jayaprakash Narayan’s visit to the Mangaluru City.”

Bantwal also alleged that Janardhana Poojary used to say that during Indira Gandhi’s visit to the Mangaluru Rai also had pelted stones during procession.

Later, Bantwal, claiming that he had received five threat letters, he warned, “Ramanatha Rai should remember that a threat to me is also a threat to him.”