SC Dismisses Kola’s Plea Against Karnataka HC Order in 12-Acre Land Fraud Case
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a special leave petition filed by Bengaluru-based businessman Venkat Rama Naidu Kola in a high-stakes land fraud case, declining to interfere with a Karnataka High Court order that had refused to quash criminal proceedings against him.
A Bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma rejected Special Leave Petition (Criminal) No. 3108 of 2026 on February 27, 2026. The petition challenged the Karnataka High Court’s final judgment and order dated January 30, 2026, in Criminal Petition No. 15776 of 2025.
In a brief order passed at the admission stage, the Bench observed: “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment and order of the High Court; hence, the special leave petition is dismissed.” All pending applications, if any, were also disposed of.
Kola, who is reported to be in his mid-50s and a resident of RMV 2nd Stage, Dollars Colony in Bengaluru, figures as one of the accused in a criminal case relating to disputed land on the eastern outskirts of the city. The case centres on approximately 12 acres of land in Bandapura village, an area that has seen sharp appreciation in land values in recent years.
The dispute arose after multiple parties claimed ownership over the same parcel of land, allegedly on the basis of competing sale deeds and title documents. A complaint was subsequently lodged alleging impersonation, fabrication of documents, forgery and criminal conspiracy in connection with the transfer of the property, which is said to be worth over ₹100 crore.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered invoking provisions of the Indian Penal Code dealing with cheating, forgery and conspiracy. Kola was named as one of the accused in the case.
High Court proceedings
Challenging the FIR and the criminal proceedings, Kola approached the Karnataka High Court under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, seeking quashing of the case. He is understood to have argued that the dispute was essentially civil in nature — relating to title and ownership — and that criminal law had been wrongly invoked.
However, in its order dated January 30, 2026, the High Court declined to interfere. The court held that the allegations in the complaint disclosed prima facie material warranting investigation and that it would not be appropriate to scuttle the proceedings at the threshold. The High Court observed that the case involved serious allegations of impersonation and fabrication of documents, going beyond a mere civil dispute over title.
Aggrieved by the High Court’s refusal to quash the proceedings, Kola moved the Supreme Court under Article 136 of the Constitution. The SLP was filed on February 16, 2026, registered the following day and verified on February 20. It was listed as a fresh criminal matter for admission.
Senior Advocate Kiran Suri appeared for Kola, assisted by advocates Vaijayanthi Girish and Girish Ananthamurthy. The State of Karnataka was represented by Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave along with advocates Rishabh Kapur, Sudhanshu Prakash, Tanmay Gupta and Anisha Agarwal.
After hearing the parties, the Supreme Court declined to interfere with the High Court’s order. With the SLP dismissed at the motion hearing stage itself, the High Court’s January 30 decision remains in force.