Real Estate in Kengeri : Part 2

Continuing from my previous post, Lets talk about the powerful Land mafia thats raising its ugly head in and around Kengeri-KST.

With large tracts of agricultural lands being converted into Residential Layouts with many being legal and even more illegally, many people fell into a trap.Many people in the run to turn their dream of owning a site in Bangalore , bought sites in the many illegal layouts, turning a blind eye to the legal formalities and requirements.For years they had no problem at all.They were given water and electricity connection by the Town Municipal corporatio of Kengeri.Many paid the taxes promptly, thinking that they would get futher benifits from the municipality and lead a peacefull life, only to be shattered later.

With the land prices spiralling in Bangalore and increasing real estate activity in and around Kengeri, the real estate mafias started finding new ways to cash in on the situation, even if it meant riding the dark horse.These land mafias turned their eyes on the many illegal layouts formed in the agricultural lands.Most of these layouts were formed without conversion from agricultural use and without any layout plan approval.Many of the sites in these layouts do not have khatas in their owners name, as these are illegal layouts.So, the khatas were in the names of people who previously owned this piece of land.The land mafias cashed in on this loophole to make some quick bucks.

In one of the layouts formed in the interior of kengeri, in vidyapeetha road consists of around 30 sites, most of which were purchased by government employees and educated people.It was just an investment for them.So most of them did not bother to fence their sites or put up a small shed to show that they were in posession of the property.Most of them visted their property once or twice a year, as they were not aware of the tricks of these land mafias.Most of them had paid taxes to the municipality and some of them had khatas in their names.

One fine morning all of them came into a big shock, when they found that all the marking stones and the fences were bulldozed by some one and a huge fence covering the entire layout was put up.A shed had also come up in the layout with some goons being stationed there in case required.On enquiring about the thing , the site owners were told by the goons stationed there , that the land belonged to one person by name Anjaneya(Name changed.a local land shark) and the khatha still beared the name of his grandfather.So, being the legal heir , the entire land belonged to him.

The site owners found it really difficult to come to terms with the harsh reality.They felt helpless in front of the goondas who were hired for the purpose.After hectic phone calls , conversations and consultations, all of them decided to lodge a police complaint in the local police station.They were in for a even bigger shock, when they went to the station.

What was the big shock that was waiting for them in the Police station ? What happened to their sites?

To get get answers to these questions and many more, read my futher posts in this series...