Government tells Karnataka HC Kogilu residents have no valid land allotment documents

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has told the High Court that the land where residents of Kogilu’s Wasim and Fakir settlements had built homes was never officially allotted to them and that documents produced by some residents to claim ownership were either invalid or unrelated to the disputed property.

The submission was made during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Zaiba Tabassum, Rehana and Arif Begum, challenging the demolition drive in the settlements and seeking a declaration that the action was unconstitutional.

Additional Advocate General Prathima Honnapur, appearing for the government, said the authorities had not allotted the disputed land to any individual and had not issued title deeds. She also told the court that several residents had refused to move to rehabilitation centres and were attempting to rebuild huts on the cleared site.

According to the government, documents submitted by six residents were examined under Section 94CC and found to be not genuine. Documents submitted by another eight residents, it said, related to different parcels of land and not the area cleared during the demolition.

The government further maintained that there were no permanent houses on the disputed land and that only hut-like structures had been removed during the eviction.

Amicus curiae B V Vidyullatha also submitted a report on the ground situation before the bench headed by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru.

The court granted the petitioners one week to respond to the government’s objections and adjourned the hearing.