Khandre, forest dept trespassed HMT land: Kumaraswamy

Amid controversy over felling of trees during the shooting of movie “Toxic”, Union minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday attacked the state government and said that forest minister Eshwar Khadre and the forest department had trespassed into the Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) owned land in Peenya and not vice versa.

Kannada film star Yash’s latest project “Toxic”, has come under scrutiny amid allegations of extensive tree felling on forest land for the movie’s set. Khandre and the state forest department raised concerns over the ownership of the land that was originally designated as reserved forest and now occupied by HMT. Both stated that the land should legally remain a forest area.

Kumaraswamy countered the state’s stance, calling the allegations “politics of vendetta,” especially following his announcement to revive HMT. “There is trespassing (by Khandre) on the HMT land. We (had earlier) filed a suit related to it (over ownership of the land) and we are waiting for the court direction. We will fight it legally but we will not raise the issue for publicity,” Kumaraswamy told reporters.

“The forest minister visited the HMT premises yesterday, which was given to the Canara Bank way back in 2002. It was not given on lease but sold to them (Canara Bank),” he further said. He said he would hold a press conference in a day or two against the forest minister’s “attempt” to create confusion ‘unnecessarily’ in connection with the HMT land.

The Union Minister said there are encroachments on forest lands in various parts of the state, including Bengaluru.

“I want to ask the Forest Minister who met the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah), what direction did CM give you (Forest Minister) and what instruction you (Forest Minister) gave to the forest officials. Should there be different yardsticks for the poor and the Congress leaders?” Kumaraswamy sought to know.

In a letter addressed to the additional chief secretary for forest, ecology, and environment, on Tuesday, Khandre said that the 599 acres occupied by HMT was never denotified. Citing the Supreme Court’s stance, “once a forest, always a forest unless denotified,” he reiterated the government’s view that the land technically retains its forest status.

“Hundreds of trees have been illegally cut down for the filming of the movie on forestland under HMT’s jurisdiction, which is visible in satellite images,” he stated after visiting the site on Tuesday. He directed forest department officials to immediately pursue legal action against those responsible for the tree felling.

The controversy has brought to light longstanding issues surrounding the land, which HMT acquired in the 1960s. Khandre alleged that HMT has not only illegally held on to the land but has also leased portions of it for various private and commercial uses, including film sets. “It has been observed that HMT is also renting out forestland under its control for film shoots and leasing vacant spaces,” he added.

Khandre further said that HMT had even sold some of this forest land to entities such as Canara Bank, where the set for “Toxic” was erected, with filming reportedly ongoing for several months.

He raised the need for accountability in allowing tree cutting on forest land. “It should be verified whether permission was granted as per regulations, and, if permission was given, disciplinary action should be taken against the official who allowed tree-cutting on forestland. If no permission was granted, strict action should be taken against all responsible for the illegal tree-cutting,” he said.

Responding to the allegations, KVN Productions, the company producing “Toxic”, stated that all legal protocols were followed. Supreeth, executive producer of the film, refuted claims of wrongdoing.

“This is a private property and we have not violated any rules. We did a thorough scanning of the property in February 2024 and did necessary document work. We are waiting for a full report from the Forest Department to challenge its claims,” Supreeth said.

The case has ignited political tensions, with state and central government representatives at odds over the issue. Khandre announced that the Karnataka government would seek to reclaim the land, asserting it had been “illegally transferred” to HMT decades ago.

Toxic, directed by Geetu Mohandas and starring Yash, is slated for release in April next year.