Bengaluru police are intensifying their investigation into a significant case of illegal construction on encroached government land in the northern part of the city. Authorities are now preparing to arrest a third individual linked to the scam in Kogilu village, Yelahanka.
Arrests and the Modus Operandi
This week, the police took into custody two self-styled activists and local residents, identified as Vijay and Wasim Ulla Baig. A local court has remanded them to seven days of police custody for their alleged central role in the illegal occupation and sale of government land.
According to a senior police officer, the duo exploited people by collecting sums ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 70,000 from multiple occupants. They promised these individuals small parcels of land in the area. To make the scheme appear legitimate, they enlisted the help of a man named Robin, who posed as a government official.
"To lend an air of legitimacy, the duo, with Robin's help, marked out plots measuring 20x15 or 15x15 feet on the ground and distributed the encroached land. This is how the illegal constructions came up," the officer explained. He added that a majority of these unauthorized structures are located in an area known as Wasim Layout.
Three Illegal Layouts Uncovered
The police investigation has brought to light the existence of three unauthorized residential layouts in the vicinity: Fakir Layout, Fakir Layout-1, and Wasim Layout. Fakir Layout is the oldest, while Wasim Layout is the most recent development.
Vijay and Wasim are accused of acting as middlemen, systematically shifting families into the newer Fakir Layout-1 and Wasim Layout. "Most of the constructions in these two layouts, particularly in Wasim Layout, are illegal," the officer stated emphatically.
Land Meant for Civic Projects
The case came to the fore after a formal complaint was filed by Santosh Kumar Kaddi, an engineer with Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML). The complaint details that a parcel of land measuring 14 acres and 36 guntas in survey number 99 was officially transferred to BSWML following orders from the Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner in 2014 and 2015.
This land was specifically earmarked for critical civic infrastructure projects, including a bio-methanation unit, a sewage treatment plant, and waste processing facilities. In 2023, Bengaluru Smart City/BSWML Ltd even floated tenders and issued work orders for these proposed utilities.
It was at this stage that officials made the shocking discovery: nearly 4 acres of the designated land had been illegally encroached upon. Makeshift houses had been constructed without any authorization, halting the public projects.
In his complaint, Kaddi named Vijay, Wasim Ulla Baig, Robin, and Muni Anjanappa as the primary accused. They are charged with collecting money from residents to illegally build houses on government land. With two already in custody, the police are now closing in on the third accused, highlighting a continued crackdown on land mafia operations in Bengaluru's suburbs.
