Karnataka High Court says evictees' rehabilitation at Kogilu Layout unfeasible

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday appointed advocate B V Vidyulatha as amicus curiae to assist the court on the temporary rehabilitation of families displaced in the Kogilu Layout
demolition. 

A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Poonacha also observed that, given the factual situation, the request for in situ rehabilitation at Kogilu Layout may not be feasible. 

The bench was hearing a PIL petition filed by Zaiba Tabassum and others questioning the demolition drive undertaken on December 20, 2025, at Waseem Colony and Fakeer Colony in Kogilu Layout. 

The petitioners argued that the drive violated the guidelines issued by the Surpeme Court specifying that no demolition should be undertaken without issuing prior show-cause notices.

At the hearing, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty responded to the petitioners’ claim that some of the families evicted possessed temporary allotment letters. He submitted that verification showed that four of the seven letters were not found in the official files, while three other allotment letters pertain to some other location. The statement of objections and affidavit include complete details of the 167 affected persons. 

On the other hand, the petitioners’ counsel claimed that the number of affected persons is more than 800 and that four temporary rehabilitation centres, as claimed by the state government, are not functioning properly. To this, the advocate general informed the court that around 10-12 affected persons have visited the four centres. 

Considering these submissions, the division bench appointed advocate BV Vidyulatha as amicus curiae to assist it in the case. The bench directed the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) to assist her. 

The court has sought a report on the temporary rehabilitation measures taken, the details about people affected and whether adequate rehabilitation measures have been taken. It further said that in situ rehabilitation at Kogilu Layout itself may not be feasible, considering the submission by the state government that inhabiting a solid waste management site is highly injurious and fatal to the health of the persons on the site. The hearing has been adjourned to February 9. 

According to the state government, an abandoned quarry spread over 9.36 acres and 5 acres was given to the BBMP as a landfill site by orders on November 28, 2014, and February 17, 2016. The entire land has been continuously used only for the disposal of solid waste and is being used by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), the government submitted.