Karnataka HC seeks clarity on rehab of families displaced in Kogilu Layout
Bengaluru: To assist the court in examining the temporary rehabilitation of families displaced following a demolition drive in Kogilu Layout in north Bengaluru, the High Court of Karnataka has appointed advocate B V Vidyulatha as amicus curiae on Wednesday.
According to a Deccan Herald report, the appointment was decided while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Zaiba Tabassum and others. The petitioners contested the demolition of Waseem and Fakeer colonies on December 20, 2025. They further claimed that the action breached Supreme Court standards, which require prior show-cause warnings before any demolition. The division bench was chaired by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Poonacha.
During the hearing, the bench observed that on the basis of the factual circumstances placed before it, in situ rehabilitation at Kogilu Layout itself may not be feasible. The court noted the state government’s submission that the land in question is part of a solid waste management site as habitation in such an area would be hazardous and potentially fatal to human health.
Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty told the court that verification revealed discrepancies, in response to claims by the petitioners that several evicted families held temporary allotment letters. He submitted that out of seven such letters produced, four were not found in official records, while the remaining three pertained to a different location altogether. He further added that the state’s statement of objections and supporting affidavit contained complete details of 167 affected persons.
The petitioners’ counsel, however, contested the government’s figures and argued that more than 800 people had been affected by the demolition. It was also submitted that the four temporary rehabilitation centres cited by the state were not functioning properly. The advocate general countered this by informing the court that only about 10 to 12 displaced persons had so far approached these centres.
The bench directed the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority to assist the newly appointed amicus curiae. The court also sought a detailed report on the temporary rehabilitation measures undertaken by the authorities, the exact number of people affected along with details of whether adequate arrangements have been made for those displaced.
The state government informed the court that the land at Kogilu Layout comprises an abandoned quarry measuring 9.36 acres and another parcel of five acres, which was handed over to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike as a landfill site through government orders issued in November 2014 and February 2016. According to the submission, the land has since been continuously used for solid waste disposal by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited.
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Oracle lays off around 12,000 employees in India, another round likely within a month
New Delhi (PTI): US-based IT firm Oracle is believed to have laid off approximately 12,000 staff in India, with another round of layoffs expected within a month, impacted employees said on Tuesday.
Globally, the company has fired around 30,000 employees.
"In India, around 12,000 employees have been laid off. The company is planning another mass layoff within a month," said two people impacted by the retrenchment, including one from the company's human resource department.
The company has approximately 30,000 employees in India, including those affected by the layoffs.
Oracle declined to comment on the development.
Oracle, in an email sent to staff, said the employees were informed about certain organisational changes and "because of these changes, a decision has been taken to streamline the operations, and as a result, unfortunately, the position you currently hold will become redundant".
The company has offered 15 days' salary to each employee who has completed a year of service in India, in addition to one month of unpaid wages till termination date, leave encashment, gratuity based on eligibility and pay for a one-month notice period.
Oracle has also offered a two-month salary as a top-up.
However, the severance package is available for those who voluntarily and amicably resign from the company.
An ex-employee of Oracle, Merugu Sridhar, said that he was laid off in September for protesting against the 16-hour work shift that the company has in India.
"I contacted my friends and those who are in human resources. They shared that most of the Indians working in the US with the company have been impacted because the local laws there are very strict when it comes to the retrenchment of their citizens," Sridhar said.
