A case has been registered against Congress Overseas Chief Sam Pitroda, also known as Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, along with others in the Special Anti-Land Grabbing Court, accusing them of illegally occupying government land in Bengaluru. The case involves Darshan Shankar, founder of the Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), and four senior Karnataka Forest Department officials. The disputed land, a 5-hectare (12.35-acre) reserve forest area in Jarakabande Kaval near Yelahanka, was leased to FRLHT by the Karnataka State Forest Department in 1996 for five years. The lease was renewed in 2001 for another decade but expired in 2011, after which FRLHT allegedly continued to occupy the land illegally for over 14 years.
The land in question is estimated to be worth over ?150 crore, with a market value exceeding ?300 crore. Reports suggest that FRLHT has allegedly been generating ?5-6 crore annually by selling rare herbal plants cultivated on the property. A complaint regarding the encroachment was filed with the Lokayukta and the Enforcement Directorate on February 24, 2025. Following an investigation and verification of documents, criminal cases were officially lodged against Pitroda, Shankar, and the four forest officials in the Karnataka Special Court for the Prevention of Land Grabbing.
In response, Pitroda has strongly denied the allegations. Posting on X, he stated that he does not own any land, home, or stocks in India and has never been involved in any illegal dealings. He emphasized that during his tenure with the Indian government under Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, he never received a salary. He further asserted that he has never accepted or paid a bribe in India or any other country in his 83 years of life.
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