Illegal hoardings: Lokayukta asks police to register FIR against offenders

Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanath Shetty has directed the police to initiate criminal proceedings against persons who put up illegal advertisement hoardings in the city.

The lokayukta directed City Police Commissioner to issue circular to all the police stations to register FIR against culprits displaying illegal hoardings.

The lokayukta is hearing a case of poisoning of 17 trees by injecting acid on Marathahalli ring road and at least 15 trees near Mahadevapura police station.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials informed the Lokayukta that HAL police have registered an FIR in connection with the Marathahalli ring road incident while the BBMP's forest wing is investigating Mahadevapura incident. The trees were poisoned for a better visibility of the advertisement hoardings of a leading phone manufacturing company.

Directing the BBMP officials and the police to submit action taken report in the cases, Justice Shetty asked the police to bring such culprits to book. ``It is needless to point out that the forest wing of BBMP and also all the police who come within the jurisdiction of Commissioner of Police Bengaluru City are required to take prompt action to prevent commission of offence of destruction of tree growth. The police wing in the BBMP and BDA also required to take active role in preserving the tree growth and also to prevent unauthorised display of advertisement hoardings. It is highly desirable that the Commissioner of Police issue necessary instructions and circulate the copy of this order to all the jurisdictional police stations to take effective steps, (sic)'' Justice Shetty stated in the order.

The Lokayukta has stated that a team of officials may have to be created in the event if BBMP fails to take steps for removal of unauthorised advertisement hoardings in its limits. Lokayukta has directed the BBMP and the jurisdictional police (HAL station) to submit the action report within eight weeks.