BENGALURU: A dispute between two people over a piece of land has rendered around 30 families homeless at Munnekolala near Marathahalli in Mahadevapura zone.
Those who lost their homes alleged that local goons came on Thursday morning and demolished their houses even as they were inside.
During the demolition, the goons misbehaved with them and manhandled them, leaving a six-month-old child injured, they alleged. The angry and scared dwellers have sought the help of the Marathahalli police.
Ravi, a labour contractor (thekedar) and resident of the place said that a group of locals surrounded the area with three earthmovers and started demolishing the shelters.
“When we asked for a reason, they said that the landowner had told them to get the area cleared. We said that we had been staying here for years and had been paying rent on time, but they did not listen. So we called the police. But, by that time, 30 homes were already demolished and our belongings were thrown in the open drains and strewn everywhere,” he said.
Some dwellers blamed their predicament on the government, stating that they may have been mistaken for illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
“We are not illegal Bangladeshis, we are from Odisha. I have a rent agreement also. Earlier, when properties were demolished, the police and corporation were asked to intervene, but here we have been left homeless and helpless,” said Hussain, one of the residents.
Kajal, Niranajan, the mother of the injured child, is worried because even her husband is in the police station.
Zia Nomani from the NGO Swaraj India said this seemed to be a tussle between two people who were claiming ownership of the land. He said that apart from the residents filing an FIR, the NGO and Narayan Gowda, the owner of the land, had also filed FIRs. Eyewitnesses have also identified the people who had come to demolish the properties, he said.
Sheds were for labourers, claims contractor
However, Naveen Kumar, the other claimant to the land, told reporters that a group of locals had come to his house on Wednesday and assaulted and threatened his family. “On Thursday morning, they came with three earthmovers and demolished the sheds.
“The land belongs to my grandfather who passed away in 1985, and all documents have been given to BBMP to transfer the land to my name. It was done a few months ago. I was shocked to see the demolition and assault on workers. When I asked the group to show the documents, they threatened me with dire consequences. I have now sought police protection.”
Kumar, a civil contractor, further said, “I had put up some temporary sheds for the labourers 15 years ago. They are from Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal.”
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials claimed they had no role in the demolition and said they were unaware of the incident. However, they said that the matter will be looked into.
A senior police officer from Whitefiled sub-division said based on a complaint by Naveen Kumar, ten locals — Sandeep, Nagesh, Vikki, Dileep, Saleem, Maishawak, Mahendran, Srinivas, Karthik and Basavaraj — have been arrested. Three earthmovers and two bikes have also been seized.