Bengaluru: Big fish beware! Bulldozer is coming

Bengaluru: Stung by public criticism that they have shied away from demolishing buildings owned by prominent citizens, the BBMP and revenue department have finally decided to take the encroachment menace head-on.

According to sources, BBMP officials have marked the residence of Kannada actor Darshan and a hospital belonging to former minister and senior Congress politician Shamanur Shivashankarappa for demolition in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. A portion of SS Hospital belonging to Shamanur and the compound wall of Darshan’s house could be razed as they are reportedly built on a stormwater drain.

Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone officials of BBMP played safe and were not available for comment. It may be recalled that amid protests by common citizens that they were being discriminated against, BBMP officials had razed a portion of the construction of  a prominent builder, Puravankara, last week.  

Meanwhile, the focus is slowly shifting to big names like Brigade Gateway in Yeswanthpur and Orion Mall in Rajajinagar with activists crying hoarse they too have violated rules with impunity and have been built on stormwater drains but have not been touched so far. Can there be two sets of rules for the hapless commoner and the rich and powerful, they ask.

9 officials surrender, will they spill beans?
Nine BBMP officials who have been accused of conniving with builders to allow constructions on stormwater drains in Bengaluru, surrendered before the BMTF police on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Karnataka High Court had  ordered these  officials, against whom FIRs have been filed, to give themselves up.  The officials, Guruprasad, Shashidhar, B.T. Mohan Krishna, Govindaraju, Chowdegowda, Liakath, Sunitha and Munikrishna, appeared before BMTF Superintendent of Police, D.Devaraju at around 10.30 am and were questioned till late evening. They have been assured by the government that they would not be arrested.