BENGALURU: About 3,000 employees of the Revenue Department are going on leave on Wednesday demanding the arrest of a developer who allegedly threatened an official.
All revenue work, such as registration of properties and collection of tax, will be affected in Bengaluru Urban district. M Vijaykumar, president of the State Government Revenue Employees Association, said, “The matter is related to a piece of land in Kalkere, Jigani, which Umrah Developers wanted converted under Section 109. The company is run by Yusuf Shariff.”
Section 109 of the Land Reforms Act allows conversion of agricultural land for commercial use.
Shariff and a man called Babu allegedly threatened Assistant Commissioner L C Nagaraju in an attempt to get their work done quickly. On June 27, Nagaraju filed a complaint against Shariff, alleging abuse and assault. “It has been four days and police have taken no action yet. On Monday and Tuesday, we wore black clothes and armbands. On Wednesday, we are going on protest leave,” Vijaykumar said.
Babu had threatened revenue officials on previous occasions as well, he alleged. “He once threatened an official with a weapon. The police are not interested in acting against such people,” Vijaykumar said.
Shariff allegedly visited the Bengaluru South sub-division office on KG Road with his wife and started abusing Nagaraju over conversion of his land.
“He (Shariff) wanted approval given even without a spot inspection and said no official had ever visited his land before. Such people interfere in our work and should be dealt with firmly,” Vijaykumar said.
Police say Shariff and his wife are absconding. “We have no clue about their whereabouts,” a policeman said.