As the controversy over the demolition and eviction of over a 100 makeshift houses in Kariyammana Agrahara raged, the Marathahalli police, on Monday night and Tuesday, detained a few people from Munnekolala village, alleging that they were illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. They were later released.
This came soon after the eviction drive, which was also aimed at alleged Bangladeshi nationals. Both the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the police have denied direct involvement with the drive.
Akmal Pasha from the Alternative Law Forum, who rushed to Marathahalli police station to rescue the detainees, said that some labourers were detained by the police while they were unloading goods in the night. He said that one of the detainees is a Kannadiga.
M.N. Anucheth admitted later that those who were detained on Monday night were released on Tuesday as they had valid documents.
However, Basawa Prasad, advocate from Alternative Law Forum, accused the police of prejudice. “When we tried to help the people detained on Monday night, a few of their neighbours came along with us. When we said they were Indians, police asked us to make those accompanying us sing the national anthem,” he alleged.
Original documents amidst rubble
Back in Kariyammana Agrahara where the eviction drive rendered several homeless, people showed original ID proof of those who had lost their homes. The documents found amidst the debris included PAN cards, Aadhaar cards and marks cards of secondary schooling. Most of them belonged to people from West Bengal and North-eastern States.
Neighbours and activists say that no Bangladeshis were residing in the dwellings that were demolished. When The Hindu visited the spot, many families were trying to salvage what was left of their belongings.
Those from north Karnataka also lost their homes. Nagappa from Raichur works as a housekeeper in a building nearby. He told The Hindu that the officials were ‘blind and deaf’ to their requests to spare their houses. “Isn’t Raichur in India? Tens of labourers from north Karnataka also have lost their dwellings,” he said.
Official repatriated
BBMP Special Commissioner D. Randeep, who is in charge of Mahadevapura zone, told The Hindu that the civic body had repatriated the official concerned to the parent department with the recommendation of an inquiry and suspension with immediate effect.
BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar denied any administrative lapse by the civic body. “This is a case where an officer who is not authorised to act has taken the action. We have written in detail to the parent department regarding this. The officer, without any solid backing or written complaint, did this,” he said.
He said that the Joint Commissioner of Mahadevapura zone, who was directed to inquire, is expected to submit a report on Wednesday.
