Definitions.- In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

1. (a) “Charitable Endowment” means Charitable Endowment as defined in sub- section (5) of section 2 of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997 (Karnataka Act 33 of 2001);
2. (b) “Government’’ means the State Government;
3. (c) “Hindu Religious Institution” means the Hindu Religious Institution as defined in sub-section (17) of section 2 of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997 (Karnataka Act 33 of 2001);
4. (d) “Land’’ includes,- 2[(i) Land falling in all urban areas of the State and also land falling within 18 kms from the Bruhat Bengaluru MahanagaraPalike limits, land falling within 10 kms from the city limits notified under the provisions of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, land falling within 5 kms from the City Municipal Council limits, land falling within 3 kms from the Town Municipal Council limits and Town Panchayat limits belonging to the Government, Wakf or the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments, a local authority, a statutory or non-statutory body owned, controlled or managed by the Government: Provided that, excluding the land specified above in all other areas the cases pending related to land grabbing shall stand abated forthwith.]

3[Provided further that, where any action has been initiated on lands under sections

39, 104 or 67 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 (Karnataka Act No. 12 of 1964) by any competent authority, the same shall be excluded. Provided also that, the distances herein shall be reckoned aerially and in no other manner.]

1. (ii) rights in or over land, benefits to arise out of land, and buildings, structures and other things attached to the earth or permanently fastened to anything attached to the earth;

1[Provided that ‘land’ shall not include lands in respect of which applications for grant are pending on the date of commencement of this Act,-

1. (a) under sections 94A, 94B, 94C and 94CC of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 (Karnataka Act 12 of 1964);
2. (b) under the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (Central Act 2 of 2007);]

(e)“land grabber’’ means a person or group of persons or a Society, who commits or has committed land grabbing and includes any person who gives financial aid to any person

and other charges by criminal intimidation, or who abets the doing of any of the above mentioned acts; and also includes the successors in interest;

1. (f) “land grabbing’’ means every activity of grabbing of any land, without any lawful entitlement and with a view to illegally taking possession of such land, or enter into or create illegal tenancies or lease and licences agreements construct unauthorised structures thereon for sale or hire, or give such lands to any person on rental or lease and license basis for construction, or use and occupation, of unauthorised structures; and the term “to grab land’’ shall be construed accordingly;
2. (g) "local authority" includes the Municipal Corporation, a Municipal Council, Zilla Panchayat, Taluk Panchayat, Gram Panchayat, Town Panchayat, Industrial Township, Improvement Board, Urban Development Authority and Planning Authority or any Local Self Government body or institution by whatever name called constituted under any law for the time being in force;
3. (h) “notification’’ means a notification published in the Karnataka Gazette; and the word “notified’’ shall be construed accordingly;
   • (i) “person’’ includes a group or body of persons, any company or an association, whether incorporated or not;
4. (j) “prescribed’’ means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
5. (k) ‘Special Court’ means a Special Court constituted under section 7;
6. (l) “unauthorised structures’’ means any structure constructed, without express permission of the concerned competent authority under relevant law for the time being in force;
7. (m) “Wakf” means wakf as defined in clause (r) of section 3 of the Wakf Act, 1995 (Central Act 43 of 1995). 1. Deemed to have beeninserted by Act 30 of 2020 w.e.f 10.04.2020.

² Substituted by Act 30 of 2022 w.e.f. 13.10.2022.

³ Inserted by Act 29 of 2025 w.e.f. 07.04.2025