The Deve Gowda family has been opposed to the BMIC project, involving a 111-km Expressway and five special townships between Bangalore and Mysore.

At the behest of Gowda and his elder son Revanna, the Karnataka government had accused NICE of taking over excess land for the project and fraudulently signing the final deal for the Rs 2,250 crore project in 1997—though Gowda himself clinched the preliminary agreement in 1995.

The Supreme Court, in a ruling on April 20, had upheld acquisition of 20,193 acres for the project and the 1997 Framework Agreement following an appeal by the state against a similar High Court ruling.

Both the High Court and the Supreme Court stated that the project was being stalled at the behest of Gowda and Revanna.

Since the Supreme Court ruling, the Karnataka government has been creating the impression that it is moving towards a review petition. While paying a Supreme Court imposed cost of Rs five lakh to NICE on May 26, the government said it was reserving its right to file review/curative petitions.