Two arrested for building and selling 'illegal' houses on govt land in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Police have arrested two people for encroaching on government land in Kogilu, north Bengaluru, where about 160 unauthorised houses were built, allegedly after collecting money from residents. 

The police action followed a complaint by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) engineer Santosh Kumar Kaddi, who stated that 14 acres and 36 guntas of land in Survey Number 99 was transferred following orders issued by the Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner in 2014 and 2015 and was later earmarked for civic infrastructure projects, including a bio-methanation unit, sewage treatment plant and waste-processing facilities. 

In 2023, Bengaluru Smart City/BSWLR Ltd floated tenders and issued work orders for the proposed projects. However, nearly four acres of the land were found to have been illegally encroached upon, with makeshift houses constructed without authorisation.  

He accused four individuals — Vijay, Waseemullah Beg, Robin and Muni Anjanappa — of taking money from
residents to construct the illegal houses. 

The Yelahanka police arrested Vijay and Beg on Wednesday for questioning and are making efforts to trace others allegedly involved in collecting money and facilitating the illegal occupation. 

Following directions from the competent authorities, a joint operation involving the district administration, police and civic officials was conducted on December 20, 2025, during which around 160 unauthorised structures were identified.