In response to the PIL filed by social activist Bhanubhai Odedara, the division bench of acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala today asked the state government to file a reply in a week.

Odedara's lawyer, Vivek Mapara, said that state sold over 3.76 lakh sq mt of land in Koba village of Gandhinagar to K Raheja Corp Private Ltd, for a technology park, at a throw-away rate of Rs 470 per sq mt, when the Jantri rate (minimum price fixed by government) in the area was Rs 19,000 per sq mt.

In the same area, the Indian Air Force was given land at the rate of Rs 8,800 per sq mt by the government, he said, adding that the allotment to Raheja Corp resulted in a loss of over Rs 1,100 crore.

"If grace was required to be shown, then it had to be shown to the Public Sector....however, the policy is absolutely contrary, which shows a clear malafide intention on the part of government officials," the PIL says.