BENGALURU: The city police on Sunday got the owner of a parcel of land in Kariyammana Agrahara to demolish at least 23 sheds on his land which had been occupied by people said to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Although the owner, Chetan Babu, himself said that they were people from other parts of Karnataka and from the northern and north-eastern parts of the country -- and none from Bangladesh or any other country -- the city police issued him a notice to get them vacated by demolishing the sheds.
The notice also stated that illegal electricity was being provided to them.
The police received a bunch of complaints and on January 11, Marthahalli Police Station Inspector acted on one complaint, raised by the residents of nearby apartments who alleged that these inhabitants were creating a nuisance.
When TNIE contacted the Marthahalli Police Inspector and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield, they refused to comment.
Kolagan from Tripura, who lost his shed, said, “On Saturday the police visited our place and said we were Bangladeshi immigrants and asked us to vacate. We showed our documents but they did not bother to check them. They told us again that we have to vacate the place. But we did not. On Sunday, they came with earthmovers and brought down our sheds. Where do we go now?”
‘We are Indians, have valid papers’
While some inhabitants are labourers, some others are domestic helps, waste-pickers and security guards.
The inhabitants TNIE spoke to said they were Indians with valid documents and even showed them to the police. But they were reportedly not interested in the documents.
Instead, they insisted that they vacate the place as the sheds would be demolished.
“I work as a housekeeping staff in a private company in Bellandur. My wife called me in the afternoon to say that our shed was demolished. I was shocked. We have our documents and I’m from Gangavati in Koppal, but still my shed was razed. I left work and rushed to the spot and now we have moved to a nearby lodge until we find another place. We have no space to live. We are worried,” said Basveshwara.
Reportedly under pressure from the police, Babu on Sunday called for an earthmover and in the presence of Marthahalli police demolished 23 sheds, leaving many homeless.
Babu told TNIE that the people living in the sheds were not Bangladeshi immigrants, but Indians.
“Based on an order from the police, I carried out the demolition. I and my seven brothers own this land and people from different parts of Karnataka as well as from states like West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh live there. All of them have their documents. However, with the police’s order, I called for an earthmover and demolished some of the sheds.”
Initially, many inhabitants assumed it was the BBMP staff who had ordered the demolition. Randeep D, Special Commissioner, Mahadevapura zone, firmly denied it.
“I got information of the demolition. We have not given any orders for it. I have even checked with the Joint Commissioner of Mahadevapura zone and he said he did not give any orders either. On Monday, we will check with police officials,” he said.