Wall collapse kills duo peeing near disputed building

An old and dilapidated wall of a disputed building in western Bengaluru collapsed on Wednesday, killing two men who had stopped by to relieve themselves.

Bala, 30, and Rajamani, 35, residents of Valmiki Nagar near Chamarajpet, are said to have gone near the building to attend the nature's call when the wall collapsed around 2.30 pm.

Located near NICE Road, off the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, the building is more than 25 years old. It consists of a house and a godown with a sheeted roof.

The property — both the land and the building — is in dispute with private company Agromore (P) Limited and the government-owned Karnataka Vidyuth Karkhane Limited (Kavika) claiming ownership, according to police.

Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), which maintains the eponymous road, is also said to be a party to the dispute, but police are to verify it. Locals call it the Agromore building.

Bala and Rajamani, along with two other friends named Thammanna and Koli, had gone to a bar for drinks. They later went to a place near the building but it's not clear why. After some time, Bala and Rajamani walked to the building, saying they will relieve themselves. But the wall collapsed, crushing both to death, Thammanna told the police.

Thammanna said he and Koli raised an alarm, drawing local people who tried to rescue the duo trapped under the debris.

Seeing the crowd, one of the locals called the police. But by the time police rushed there, the debris had almost been cleared and Bala and Rajamani were dead.

Police quoted Thammanna as saying that Koli had taken them near the building, saying there was some work to do. But he doesn't know what it was. He also doesn't know the real name of Koli, who has gone absconding, Thammanna told the police.