Mantri Mall shut over pending property tax

Civic officials closed down Mantri Mall for the second time in three months citing pending property tax.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said the mall management did not pay taxes for two years, including for 2018-19. The civic body said the mall evaded taxes to the tune of Rs 27.25 crore, which has now swelled to Rs 39.49 crore, including the interest levied.

Officials from the revenue wing of the BBMP, led by Joint Commissioner B Shivaswamy (West), showed up at the mall to seal it down as the owners failed to pay up property tax dues even after multiple notices. As a result, the mall was shut for nearly three hours on Monday.

"In September, when our team visited the mall, the owners had paid up Rs 5 crore and sought a month to pay the remaining dues. However, even after a month, they did not pay up and hence, we decided to seal down the mall,” Shivaswamy said.

While the mall was shut between 3 pm to 6 pm, the BBMP later agreed to give 15 days to pay the dues following requests from the owner.

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