BANGALORE: The atmosphere at the crowded Garuda Mall on Magrath Road was charged when the Managing Director of the Garuda Group B G Uday threatened to file a police complaint against Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) corporators for trespassing in full media glare.
Uday on Saturday was enraged to find members of the BBMP’s Standing Committee on Markets making allegations on irregularities in the functioning of the mall to the media on the mall’s premises.
He said that the visit in the name of inspection was tantamount to trespassing and they (Committee members) were levelling allegations following refusal to pay bribes. Such inspections affect the functioning of the mall, he felt.
A visibly enraged Uday said a complaint would be filed with the police for continuous harassment and with the Lok Ayukta for demanding bribes.
Earlier in the day, BBMP’s Standing Committee on Markets, headed by Corporator of Basaveshwara Nagar Ward S H Padmaraj, visited the Garuda Mall for a surprise inspection. The mall on Magrath Road was built on the land owned by the BBMP and the two parties have had a history of struggle over profit sharing.
Blame game
Briefing the media, Padmaraj said that there was no cooperation from the officials of the Garuda Group when they sought information on profits or income.
He suspected that the declaration of income by the group was false and wanted to enquire about the rent paid by the shops himself.
Even if the exorbitant parking charges collected by the group at the mall were given to the impoverished BBMP, a lot more facilities could be created in the city, he felt.
Meanwhile, Uday clarified that all necessary documents had been submitted to the Lokayukta already and alleged that it was an exercise to exhort money. He also charged that the allegations of fraud on the sharing of profits based on the agreement drawn with the BBMP were false and asked them to read the documents before making such allegations.
However, the members of the committee did not respond to Uday’s charge and instead informed the group officials to submit the documents to them at the earliest.