BENGALURU: BJP’s former corporator N R Ramesh has alleged that Yeshwanthpur MLA S T Somashekar has encroached upon 13 acres of gomala land, which is also ‘bagair hukum’ land, in the city. Ramesh told reporters that he is collecting documents pertaining to this. “Meanwhile, I will lodge a complaint with the Lokayukta and BMTF,” he said. “There is no personal agenda in this. I am fighting against people who are encroaching government land or BBMP property,” he said.
Further, Ramesh has blamed two private contractors with the BBMP, of whom one is said to be Somashekar’s nephew, for illegally taking their payments totalling Rs 2.8 crore. “These two contractors completed their civil work in January and took their payments in February. In BBMP, payment is done according to seniority. If that is the case, the two were supposed to get their dues in 2017,” he said.
Somashekar, however, denied the allegations. “I have not encroached upon any gomala or bagair hukum land. If he can prove the allegations, I will resign as MLA,” he said.
“If my nephew had forced the officials, they should have filed a complaint in February. Why is Ramesh interfering now?” he asked. Somashekar said he is planning to file a defamation case against Ramesh.