The petition by Tarak Singh, a Councillor in the Calcutta Municipality, alleged that Basu allotted the plots to judges, his close aides, husband of his authorised biographer Surabhi Banerjee, ministers, MPs, MLAs and bureaucrats using his discretionary powers arbitrarily and unconstitutionally.

The Calcutta High Court had on February 5 dismissed Singh's petition, which had sought imposition of exemplary damages on Basu for violating norms on such allotments, on the ground that it had not impleaded the allottees as parties.

The High Court had, however, held that "such allotments are without any reason". The PIL had sought a declaration that "the allotment of lands by Basu, being a public servant, was oppressive, arbitrary, unconstitutional and unexceptional and as such exemplary damagesbe imposed on him."

In 1987, the High Court had restrained the government from making any allotment in the Salt Lake area without the leave of the court. However, it was later clarified by the court that it would not stop the chief minister from making land allotments from his discretionary quota.