HC stays demolition of techies' house

The High Court on Tuesday granted stay on the demolition of a house in Kasavanahalli in the ongoing demolition drive by the BBMP. Justice Anand Byrareddy also granted stay on the FIR filed against the owners of the houses filed by Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF).

The petitioners, Mahendra Kumar A R and his wife Roopa Mahendra, both working as software engineers, had constructed their house on survey number 57 in Kasavanahalli in Varthur hobli spending around Rs 3 crore in 2013. The petitioners have contended that they were granted necessary sanctions and permits to construct the house by the BBMP officials, but the same BBMP razed nearly 75% of their house in the demolition drive.

The petitioners have said that in the recently uploaded village maps by the BBMP, their house is not located on the storm water drain. Only the compound wall on the house is constructed on the drain. The petitioners have not just sought stay on the criminal proceedings against them, but have sought a compensation amount of Rs 3.5 crore from the BBMP besides initiating action against the BBMP commissioner. The bench stayed the BBMP’s digging work in the area to lay a drain.