Bengaluru: Brandishing lethal weapons, goons raze wall for road access

Bengaluru: In a case of absolute lawlessness, more than 30 goons, brandishing lethal weapons, demolished a compound wall of a gated community, alleging that it was blocking access to an apartment complex coming up nearby.

The incident occurred on Saturday morning (November 19) when over 30 goons, brandishing machetes, hammers and other construction equipment, showed up at Ramaiah Gardens and demolished the compound, the police said.

The goons were acting at the behest of a builder, Praveen Reddy, alleged a resident from Ramaiah Gardens. Reddy is the owner of an upscale apartment complex, Mahaveer Jonquil, which is spread over 2 acres, the police said.

Reddy and Jonquil apartment residents said that the apartment has an access road that connects a stretch at Ramaiah Gardens. But the builder of Ramaiah Gardens has blocked the road by building a compound wall, saying it would be a nuisance if the road is used by Jonquil residents.

On Saturday morning, a number of labourers, accompanied by goons, arrived at the spot and started demolishing the compound. When Ramaiah Gardens residents protested, they were allegedly threatened by the goons, the police said, citing the complaint. Several residents from Ramaiah Gardens have video-recorded the entire incident on their mobile phones. A resident, Shivashankar, later filed a complaint with the J.P. Nagar police.

The police are collecting footage of the demolition and are verifying whether the goons were carrying lethal weapons and threatening the residents, a senior police officer said. “We have also contacted BBMP officials to find out if there is an access road for the apartment that has been blocked by the residents of Ramaiah Gardens.”

The JP Nagar police have registered a case of rioting, trespassing and damaging property and are investigating.