BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to open Mantri Square, Malleshwaram, at 10 am on Friday, remove all the hurdles and allow the petitioner - M/s Abhishek Propbuild Pvt Ltd., shop-keepers, employees their free ingress and egress.
This interim order was passed after directing the petitioner company, which runs the mall, to deposit a sum of Rs 20 crore with the BBMP on or before July 31, out of which, an amount of Rs 3.50 crore must be deposited on or before June 1.
Justice Jyoti Mulimani vacation bench passed the interim order after hearing the counsels of the petitioner and mall. The mall was closed for non-payment of property tax dues of Rs 41 crore from 2019, and hence the company moved the high court.
Before passing the interim order, the company CFO filed an affidavit before the court stating that the company undertakes to deposit a sum of Rs 20 crore before the BBMP on or before July 31, without prejudice to the contention. It was also stated in the affidavit that Rs 3.50 crore will be deposited on or before June 1.
Disputing the tax dues, senior counsel representing the mall argued that the tax was exorbitant, and closing the mall has affected the livelihood of around 2,500 workers, besides causing a loss of Rs 7 crore loss per day. The BBMP counsel argued that if the mall earns Rs 7 crore per day, and is facing that much loss each day, then paying Rs 41 crore property tax is not a huge amount for them.