New Delhi: Supreme Court Monday declined to stay a Karnataka high court order which had observed that Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project was a fit case for a comprehensive investigation into alleged irregularities in land acquisition.NICE, the project proponent, had challenged the high court’s observations and sought an interim relief against the order.Supreme Court said the high court order would remain in force until the matter is considered in detail. The apex court posted the next hearing for Nov 2.The case relates to a long-running dispute over land acquired for BMIC project and allegations over its utilisation. The high court had earlier dealt with a batch of appeals filed by NICE and Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) against a single-judge order that had quashed land acquisition on the ground that the acquired land had not been utilised for components of the project, including the expressway, peripheral road, link roads, toll plazas and interchanges.In July, the high court had made strong observations while dismissing the appeals. It described BMIC project as a “scam” and observed that NICE project had allegedly benefited its proponents on an “astronomical” scale at the expense of landowners and public interest. The division bench had said the matter was a fit case for an independent assessment and investigation by a special team of experts, including a forensic audit of the project accounts to examine allegations of fraud and other criminal acts.
