BENGALURU: A former corporator, Jagadish M R, who encroached multiple sites meant for Civic Amenity (CA) purposes in the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA)-approved ITI Layout in Bengaluru South and even brazenly blocked public roads in the vicinity by erecting compound walls was arrested by the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) on Wednesday.
The government land the 54-year-old had encroached upon, worth nearly Rs 25 crore, has been recovered.
The land in Yellukunte village in Begur Hobli had been handed over by the government to the ITI Housing Board Co-operative Housing Society for the purpose of forming a layout.
Additional Director General of Police, BMTF, K Ramachandra Rao told The New Indian Express, "We received complaints from residents in the area nearly a year ago. Due to his political connections, may were scared to take him on. We visited the spot long ago and asked him to remove the blockade multiple times but he refused. The wall he had erected on the road prevented public from visiting their own property." BMTF then asked the BDA to carry out a detailed survey of the Layout and it revealed that multiple CA sites had been encroached upon. The Executive Engineer of the BDA filed a complaint with BMTF on the government land being encroached upon. "
Following that, the BMTF registered a case under multiple sections and arrested him, Rao said. A team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sridhar K Poojara, was involved in the operation on February 8. Jagadish has been booked under sections 420, 468, 471, 448, RV 33A and 72 of the BDA Act. He was produced before the judicial magistrate and remanded in judicial custody till February 22, Rao said.
The BDA found out that the former corporator had encroached multiple sites falling under the following survey numbers: 16/5, 17/1, 18/2, 18/9 and 20/5.