Coronavirus Lockdown: Workers beaten, their shed ransacked for not paying rent in Bengaluru

A 35-year-old migrant labourer at Thubarahalli camp has filed a police complaint alleging assault by his shed owner for not paying the rent. 

In the complaint, Chand Pasha, a native of West Bengal, said the landlord, Manjegowda, had asked him to pay Rs 4,000 for the temporary shed he was sharing with his friend Yakub Sheikh. 

However, when Pasha said he was not able to pay the rent due to the coronavirus lockdown, Manjegowda and one of his associates ransacked the shed on Friday night, assaulted him and demanded he pay the rent or vacate the shed.

Manjegowda and his associate came again on Sunday morning, demanding the rent.  They assaulted Pasha, Sheikh and neighbours, including a pregnant woman who came to their rescue. Later, a group of residents approached the Varthur police seeking action and protection from Manjegwoda and his associates.

They said that the government had told them not to pay the rent in view of the lockdown and no work, but landlords are demanding it and assaulting them for not paying.

The Varthur police said an FIR had been registered against Manjegowda and his associate, and police personnel have been deployed in the area to monitor that such incidents do not recur.

Pasha came to Bengaluru six years ago and worked as a car cleaner and has been living in Thubarahalli. There are 70 sheds in the area and most of the residents could not go to work due to the lockdown.