Dear Chief Minister / Dear Home Minister, Govt of Karnataka,

Do you feel safe living in your house in Bengaluru?  Are you sure nobody will knock down your gate and walls, beat up your family members, and picnic in your garden while your policemen look on passively as mute spectators? These are the exact scenes that residents of Borewell Road in Whitefield woke up to on the 5th of Dec 2024. A house compound was rammed into in an outrageous fashion by a gang of nearly 50-100 hired goons, who intimidated and assaulted the residents of a property, allegedly at the behest of a prominent businessman.

The scenes appear to be from the badlands of Afghanistan perhaps, not the city that prides itself as the IT Capital of India. Videos have surfaced of JCBs demolishing the gate and compound wall of a residence, and a large army of armed thugs comprising both women and men invading the compound, assaulting the residents including elderly citizens and women, occupying the gardens and building a barricade wall to imprison the residents in their own house - all of this in broad daylight, causing a traffic jam during peak hour - such was the brazenness of this act!  Worse, it continued in the presence of policemen who arrived when the residents dialled for help; they refused to intervene. What is particularly shocking is the sight of police inaction, when mob intimidation, vandalism and assault being carried out right in front of their eyes.  The please for protection by the residents were falling on deaf ears.  If the police don't exist to ensure law and order, then for what do they exist?  

Watch some of the News coverage:

 

On Public TV Channel, 6th Dec 2024:

 

 

 

On National TV Channel, 6th Dec 2024:

 

 

 

On NewsFirst Kannada Channel, 6th Dec 2024:

 

 

 

On Pratidhvani Channel, 7th Dec 2024: 

 

 

 

Civil society is horrified by the contents of these videos. The visuals are completely shocking, and make us wonder if living in Bengaluru is safe anymore.  The impression one gets is that these rowdies and goons have a free hand to go about settling property disputes without being concerned about the police or courts.  This is every unsetting, and nobody in their right mind would wish to live in a city where the rule of law is not ensured.

Similar incidents have been reported across Whitefield and other parts of the city as well. Several citizens report that the Police have not been supportive in taking action against such vandalism and criminal intimidation. This has emboldened land sharks to employ such EXTRAJUDICIAL methods to appropriate lands. This trend is growing in magnitude, encouraging a cottage industry of hired goondas and organised crime.  Civil society shudders at the thought even that such gangs even operate in the city.  It points to a complete failure of the state and the home ministry.

These happenings shatter the image of Bengaluru as a peaceful and safe city. Is our city now descending into a mafia state? This worries us because this is not the first time we are coming across real estate sharks hiring goons, intimidating citizens, and vandalising property to suit their vested interests. More and more reports of use of such mobs and filing of false FIRs/cases, misuse of police and the process of courts by real estate mafias and by illegal layout developers are surfacing.  They use these dubious methods to have their way and to stamp out any questioning or opposition by civil society.

This is worsening the rapidly proliferating problem of illegal layouts and PG Slums, developed by rogue builders who do not respect laws. And leading to a collapse of the city's infrastructure and administration as well.  Eventually these add up and the entire city collapses, making it unliveable. 

It is time to stamp out this culture once and for all, otherwise Bengaluru will degenerate into a lawless city and breed many new 'Dawood Ibrahims' for India.  Is Bengaluru descending into goondasim and hoooliganism? ?  The Home minister has to answer for the obvious Police Dept Failure in this incident.  

ORGANISED CRIME?

The videos indicate that some organised criminal gangs were given a contract to carry out this invasion.  This in effect means that organised criminal gangs and mobs operate to provide these services to paying clientele.  Does it make you comfortable to live in a city where such gangs operate with impunity?

All those who planned, funded, organised and participated in this #mob criminal activity, need to be charged and prosecuted under #BNS111 (Organised Crime) and #BNS107, and other sections related to Organised Crime.  This includes the one who hired the mob, their employees who led and directed the mob, the members present in the mob who vandalised property and assaulted residents, and the officials who were complicit with the mob or derelict in their duties, etc.,  Most of the faces have been captured on video, and there is no lack of evidence. 

We haven't heard of the perpetrators being arrested yet.  Is this going to be the norm in Bengaluru?  Everyone to themselves? Those with money and muscle power can circumvent the laws? Should all of us arm ourselves with private armies to survive in the IT JUNGLE of BENGALURU?  Will there be no rule of law?  

WE DEMAND:
1) A quick probe into the Whitefield incident and quick action against the perpetrators of organised crime activity.
2) Criminal prosecution of all parties involved in the incident, ie., the JCB drivers, the members of the mob involved in the trespass and assault, the ones leading them, the ones that organised and paid them, the ring leaders and the mob leaders who took the contract to commit this.
3) Investigation into the police inaction, of officials responsible from top to bottom, and disciplinary action on those who were in dereliction of duty, either by omission or commission. 
4) Announce what steps you would take to end this pattern of mob rowdyism by the real estate mafia.
5) Educate and sensitise the Police Dept that while land disputes may be civil disputes, the use of hired mobs, intimidation, vandalism and organised crime activity ARE criminal activities, and they cannot be condoned or tolerated.

We need an explanation as to how the Police allowed this to take place, right under their watch, and what action is being taken to correct this.  What mechanisms are being put in place so that such misuse of the police doesn't take place.  What steps are being taken so that individuals or companies do not dare to use rowdies and goons to settle disputes.  

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REFERENCES: 

Visuals of the mob intimidation at Borewell Road, Whitefield on 5th Dec: 

https://x.com/WhitefieldWards/status/1865290537223197172

Visuals of mob intimidation at 19/2, Pattandur Agrahara, Whitefield on 18th June 2024 :

https://x.com/WhitefieldWards/status/1803058714846405115 ​

https://x.com/WhitefieldWards/status/1803061672094884057

 

Press links: 

News18 Kannada: https://x.com/WhitefieldWards/status/1864997263988195336 

Public TV:
https://youtu.be/j8d4sOCzzSU?si=3sSThYGPXve63XW- 

National TV:
https://youtu.be/rRa_tOMQonY?si=CvOPhP7CaVlR_KBn

NewsFirst Kannada TV: https://youtu.be/R3GJExQLI4g?si=SYf9RQo9ilM5lqWF

NewsFirst Kannada interview of the victim:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlHwcmb-ClE 

NewsFirst Kannada interview of the victim:  https://www.youtube.com/live/KPdO5EGuP38?si=wlQ4Nwwu9JVQfAM4 

Prathidhvani : https://youtu.be/S5P6vm5K85E?si=Zo6iLV2paq8x-Y75 

 

Raw Footage:  https://x.com/WhitefieldWards/status/1865290537223197172

 

PRESS RELEASE BY THE VICTIMS against the fraud and land grab attempt using hooligans and goons:   https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTEVO5AQV5gUK84CRHVh4FHymjMUyk5Jftfe2Sj-S03gMUa2sIFhJTCD81Y-MkbgQ/pub