These petitions are considered together having regard to the common legal issues involved.

2. The facts in the first of these cases are as follows:

It is claimed that land in survey no.126 measuring about 2 acres 20 guntas at Nagarbhavi village, Bangalore North Taluk, Bangalore District, was purchased by the petitioner under a registered sale deed dated 24.4.1968, from one Akkayamma, wife of Doddamuniswamappa and her children. The same had been purchased by her husband, from one Gudda Thimmiah in the year 1959. Thimmiah had purchased the same under a sale deed dated 18.8.1958 from one Chikkamma, who in turn, had purchased a total extent of 4 acres of land in the said survey no., from Munimutha, the original grantee under the Grow More Food Scheme, under a sale deed dated 20.7.1955. It is claimed that the said grant was covered under Rule 43J of the Karnataka Land Grant (Amendment) Rules, 1960.

It was claimed by Respondents 3 to 6 that they are the children of the grandson of the original grantee aforesaid and sought to invoke the provisions of the Karnataka Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, 1978 (hereinafter referred t