Chhattisgarh Farmer Seeks Rs.3,500 Crore from Supreme Court Over Raipur Airport Land Claim

India: A 53-year-old farmer from Chhattisgarh has approached the Supreme Court of India, claiming that the land occupied by the terminal building and gardens of Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur belongs to his family.

In his petition, Ashwani Bandhe alleged that the British government had temporarily acquired the ancestral land in 1942 for military purposes during the Second World War. He contended that the property was never returned to his family after the war ended.

The petitioner has sought nearly Rs.3,500 crore in compensation, including the present market value of the land, unpaid rent accumulated over several decades, and interest.