BENGALURU: A retired official, a builder and two landlords are being investigated for illegal construction on a stormwater drain (SWD) at Kodichikkanahalli.
A chargesheet has been filed against real estate builder Ravindra Reddy and the landlords H Vishwanath and H Ramachandraiah, who are brothers.
The police are waiting for the government’s nod to file a case against former commissioner of Bommanahalli CMC, Chikkavenkatappa, as per protocol. Documents with Express show that independently, BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad has passed an order to file a criminal case against the builder and landlords, and to conduct an enquiry against the officers involved in issuing the license to construct the apartment. Vishwanath is a former history-sheeter as per records at the Madivala police station.
The encroachment was brought to light by the efforts of Chandrashekhar V, who bought a flat in the Janapriya Lake View apartment which has been built on a ‘rajakaluve’.
“This is a very rare case of a chargesheet being filed against a builder and landlords,” he said. Chandrashekar claimed efforts at intimidating him were made by the accused via residents of the apartment.
He said, “The builder, to hide his illegal acts, had not handed over any documents but only gave it in writing on a white paper, which is not legally binding.”
The BBMP had issued a notice in 2015 that they would demolish the apartment for violating construction norms. According to them, the apartment had one floor more than what was approved. Chandrashekhar said, “I subsequently filed RTI queries, which revealed that the apartment was built on 1 acre of rajakaluve land worth `3-4 crore.”
“I approached the police and filed an FIR, and after they failed to take any action, filed a case in a special court in November 2016 for land grabbing cases,” he added.
Chandrashekhar had also filed cases last year against Chikkavenkatappa and another former commissioner of Bommanahalli CMC, R Srinivas on charges of forging documents to favour the builders.
The special court took cognizance of the matter and police were forced to take action.