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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Criminal carrying reward of Rs 25,000 arrested following encounter in UP's Ballia
Ballia (UP) (PTI): Police in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh arrested a criminal carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head following an encounter late on Saturday night, a police official said, adding that he sustained a gunshot injury on his left leg.
Additional Superintendent of Police (South) Kripa Shankar said that acting on a tip-off, a team of the Garhwar police station and the SOG (Special Operations Group) attempted to apprehend the wanted criminal at around 10.15 pm on Saturday. Upon realising that he was surrounded by the police, the criminal allegedly fired at the police.
The police fired in self-defence, and the criminal sustained injuries on his left leg, the officer said, adding that he was subsequently arrested.
He has been identified as Tenger Nat (35), a resident of the Kharhatar village under the Gadwar police station area.
According to the ASP, Nat has been sent to the community health centre in Ratsar, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
The arrested accused has allegedly been involved in numerous incidents of theft in Garhwar, Sukhpura, and Nagra police station areas of the district.
The police recovered a country-made pistol and cartridges from his possession.
