BENGALURU: While the BBMP is carrying out an eviction drive, officials involved in the clearing of these properties, are finding ways to get away.
Two former commissioners of then city municipal corporation (CMC) have applied for anticipatory bail in the City Civil and Sessions Court after residents of an apartment levelled criminal charges against them for sanctioning licences to the the construction of apartments on a raja kaluve. Their bail plea will come up for hearing today.
The name of the accused officers are Chikkavenkatappa and his successor R Srinivas at the Bommanahalli zone. A private complaint was filed in the Madivala police station in 2015 by Chandrashekar, a resident of Janapriya Lakeview apartments in Kodichikkannahalli, which is facing the threat of demolition.
A notice was served on June 25 by Bengaluru South Taluk Tahasildhar that the land be cleared of encroachment as it is a rajakaluve. Chandrashekar said, “The apartment was constructed by one Vishwanath, along with Ravindra Reddy and Ramachandraiah, by manipulating and misrepresenting documents of the land. The apartment is built on the land bearing sy no. 26/2 land measuring 3 acres and 13 guntas and 26/4 land measuring 1 acre and 2 guntas. The builders had claimed the land had been converted from agricultural to non-agricultural in 1996. But this is the land on which the rajakaluve passes.”
According to Chandrashekar, the residents of the area came to know that their apartment was built on a rajakaluve only in 2015. Chandrashekar said, “Survey maps too mention that survey number 26/2 and 26/4 lies on the left of the rajakaluve. But Venkatappa hid the facts and gave permission for the construction of the apartments and issued licences in 1998-99. The apartment was soon occupied by the residents. But in 2013, we received a notice from the city corporation. The builder received a notice from BBMP saying the building has been constructed violating the norms of Karnataka Muncipal Act 1976. When the builder did not respond to this, eviction was ordered. However, the issue went to court and a stay was brought. ”
Chandrashekar went to BBMP and other deparments and gathered details about the land. “It was evident that then special commissioner had issued licences for the construction despite knowing that it was on rajakaluve,” he said.
Madiwala police said that they are yet to file a chargesheet against the accused. The builders have also got a temporary injunction on the demolition of the building. However, the high court had recently directed all the courts to vacate such injunctions swiftly.