Neither the revenue department nor the local Panchayat had spared a thought to protect the once-majestic tank, on which a number of multi-storey apartments and shopping complexes had come up illegally.

Residents complained that a former legislator had formed the layout on the lake bed 40 years ago and sold the sites at cheap rates, assuring buyers that all the documents were authentic. People trusted him only to learn that they had been deceived. The former MLA is no more and the buildings have been flattened.

A former corporator of Dasarahalli, Ishwar Rao, is also among those cheated by the former MLA.

Rao watched helplessly as his six-storey apartment came crashing down. “The building which was razed costs nearly Rs one crore,” said Rao.