Palike moves KAT over demolition of illegal building

A day after Mayor Gowtham Kumar inspected an illegal structure in Indiranagar, the BBMP’s legal cell officials have moved the Karnataka Appellate Tribunal (KAT) to lift a stay on razing the building.

The building on Krishna Temple Road at Indiranagar 1st Stage has been constructed without following the sanctioned plan. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) issued a demolition notice to the owner, Mani Kumaran, since the building did not follow the height specified in the plan.

The owner had approached the tribunal and obtained a stay on the civic body’s order. On Friday, the Palike approached KAT with the plea to vacate the stay, to which the tribunal has asked the owner to present his version by November 25.

An official from the BBMP legal cell said: “We have submitted our version to the court and it has asked the opposite party to give their version as part of natural justice. The matter may be heard on Monday and we may get some conclusion.” The move comes after the mayor and CV Raman Nagar MLA S Raghu inspected the structure and directed BBMP joint commissioner, east zone, K R Pallavi to take immediate action.

Locals from the BM Kaval Residents’ Welfare Association, whose protest on Thursday brought the mayor and the MLA to the spot, had accused BBMP additional commissioner (SWM) D Randeep of helping the owner to procure the building plan.

They said the official stood by him in letting the building’s height to be raised to 20 metres as against the sanctioned height of 15 metres.

But the additional commissioner, who spoke to DH, rejected the allegation. “I don’t know why some residents of Indiranagar have dragged my name into this particular case,” Randeep said. “I’m neither the licensing authority to permit constructions in the BBMP limits nor am I the enforcing authority to check unauthorised constructions in the east zone.“I’ve been given the responsibility of solid waste management of the BBMP and have been given zonal responsibility of Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli.”

Randeep felt ‘disheartened’ that some people come to conclusions about an official. “I’ve reported the matter to the commissioner and have requested him to direct the jurisdictional authorities to probe it at the earliest.”