Criminal case against those who erect illegal banners

Those who put up banners and flex posters in Bengaluru without proper permission from authorities will be slapped with criminal cases, the BBMP said on Wednesday.

As per the directions of the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad informed the Bangalore City Police to book criminal cases against all those offenders who are responsible for 'visual pollution' in the city. “I have asked police to file complaints against all new flexes and banners that come up in the city, to curb this menace,” said Prasad.

The police can file complaints under the Karnataka Open Places Prevention of Disfigurement Act and imprison those who cause 'visual pollution' with illegal banners for up to six months. He also said that FIRs will be filed against those who oppose or prevent the removal drive.

A massive drive was kick-started by BBMP officials and nearly 2,000 people are said to be involved in the removal drive. “We have removed at least 7,000 flexes, banners and buntings until now. Since there is not much time, the drive will continue overnight as I have sought the high court 24 hours to remove the remaining ones in the city,” he said.

“I have asked the officers to keep aside all other work to ensure that there won’t be any flexes or banners by Thursday morning,” he said.

The BBMP counsel is supposed to submit photographs and videos to the high court of all the zones where flex posters, banners and buntings were removed on Wednesday. Many flex posters and banners came down in Malleshwaram, Dasarahalli, HBR Layout, Hagadur and other places. A similar drive was earlier conducted in March when the code of conduct came into place ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections.

Many of the illegal posters and banners were put up by MLAs, ministers, political parties and city corporators. Recently, the entire stretch of Queen’s Road saw large flex posters of Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao when he was elected president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. They were put up by his follower V Elumalai, who is ironically a city corporator. Many other cases involving prominent leaders in public life have been observed in the city in recent times, especially posters where supporters of leaders are wishing them on festivals or birthdays and the like.