JOIN USBangalore University Registrar Dr B C Mylarappa said on Sunday that the ‘influential people’ behind the encroachment of the varsity land were using police power to demoralise him.
The registrar claimed that the land grabbers offered him Rs two crore as bribe to be allowed to continue their illegal activities.
He said he was pained that a case was registered against him by the Jnanabharathi police for allegedly abusing police sub-inspector Siddalingaiah, when he (the registrar) was getting the encroachment, by Kanyakumari Vidya Samsthe, cleared.
The registrar said a false case was booked against him, when he turned down the bribe offer. He accused the police of conniving with the ‘influential people’ and stopping him from protecting the university property.
Mylarappa said, “I did not have any personal motive behind the anti-encroachment drive, except protecting the university land from grabbers. Instead of rewarding me, people tried to foist a case on me and tarnish my image.”
The registrar, who has been in the news for his differences with outgoing Vice Chancellor Prabhu Dev, said he got the encroachment cleared, despite opposition from a mob of about 500 people Saturday.
He said he had written a letter to the Jnanabharathi police seeking police protection for the encroachment drive, but the police refused to oblige, saying the matter was civil in nature.
However, when the compound wall around the encroached land was being demolished, policemen came there and tried to side with the land grabbers, he said.
“My life was at risk because the goons who came there to stop our drive were armed with lethal weapons,” said Mylarappa.
“The connivance of the police with the encroachers enraged me and I used some harsh words.” He, however, denied abusing anyone.
During the anti-encroachment drive, Regional Commissioner K Shivaram, Assistant Revenue Commissioner (North) Kantharaju, Tahsildar Suma, surveyors, village accountants and revenue inspectors were present to survey the university land and ascertain the encroachment.
“Based on their (revenue officers) demarcation, we removed the encroachment,” said Mylarappa.
When TV channels aired news about Saturday’s incident, the BU registrar’s parents rushed to Bangalore to ensure that their son was safe.