Railways files complaint against builder over land encroachment

The South Western Railway (SWR) has filed a complaint with the Upa Lokayukta, stating that Mantri Developers had encroached its property behind its Mantri Mall project in Malleswaram.

The SWR stated that despite an application being filed for the survey of the property, the Assistant Director of Land Records (ADLR) is not holding a survey.

It stated that the Railways had six acres of land adjacent to the present Swastik Metro Station.

The land was acquired in the 1920s for a narrow-gauge track. The track was operational till 1970, connecting Bengaluru City to Bangarpet through Yeshwantpur and Kolar. The track was removed in the 1970s as the connection was given to the Bengaluru-Tumakuru main line. Since then, the land remained vacant.

Mantri Developers acquired land from a private party to construct Mantri Mall and residential buildings close to the railway property.

“It was noticed that Mantri Developers was trying to encroach upon railway land and the same was prevented by the Railways. In 2011, Railways removed a fencing erected by Mantri. They filed a writ petition before the High Court and a direction was issued to Railways not to displace Mantri from their property. On the pretext of the HC order, Mantri started construction activities. Mantri Developers is trying to build a road in Railway property,”' the complaint stated.

In order to fix correct boundaries with proper identification of the properties belonging to Railways, Mantri and others, a request was placed before the ADLR for joint survey. When there was no response, the Railways approached Commissioner for Land Records. However, neither the ADLR nor the Deputy Director of Land Records (DDLR) have taken any action.

“I have directed the DC of Bengaluru Urban district, DDLR and the Additional Commissioner of BBMP to submit their responses for a joint survey on May 21,” Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi said.

Alternative road
Mantri Developers wants to build a road linking Platform Road to Srirampura Road with the approval of BBMP. Sources in Railways said that the BBMP had remained silent on its approval for the same. Railways had to stop the work by Mantri every time there was an attempt to lay the road.

The Railways had also filed a complaint against the Mantri Developers with the Malleswaram police station on October 27, 2014. “There was an old road which leads to Tumakuru, presently within the Mantri Mall premises. Since the old road has vanished, Mantri Developers wants to build the road on Railways property,” a source said.