Protest at BMRCL office

A protest by slumdwellers in front of the office of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation turned chaotic when two youths attempted self-immolation on Saturday.

The BMRCL had acquired properties of 64 families at Kottigepalya near Sumanahalli junction in 2008 for the Metro project. 

The Corporation had promised to allot houses for these families. However, houses were allotted to 62 families and Anjali Vaikunta Raju and Shankari Raju were excluded from list of beneficiaries, the police said. About 50 protesters staged a dharna raising slogans against the BMRCL authorities.

Two youths barged into the office, and doused themselves with kerosene. Soon police rushed to the spot and took the two into custody. However, BMRCL Chief Public Relation officer B L Yashwant Chauhan said, on verification of the documents it was found that the two were not project displaced persons as they had occupied the land which belonged to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.