{"id":6630,"date":"2025-12-28T22:46:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T17:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=6630"},"modified":"2025-12-28T22:46:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T17:16:12","slug":"shrc-to-inspect-kogilu-demolition-site-after-winter-evictions-leave-hundreds-homeless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=6630","title":{"rendered":"SHRC to Inspect Kogilu Demolition Site After Winter Evictions Leave Hundreds Homeless"},"content":{"rendered":"

SHRC to Inspect Kogilu Demolition Site After Dawn Bulldozer Drive Leaves Hundreds Homeless<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Commission\u2019s top leadership to assess alleged violations of Supreme Court orders as activists condemn government and civic authorities for winter eviction<\/em><\/p>\n

Bengaluru, December 28, 2025: <\/strong>In a stern rebuke to what has been described as a brutal and unlawful exercise of state power, the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has ordered a high-level spot inspection of the demolition site at Kogilu Layout following a pre-dawn bulldozer drive that displaced hundreds of poor families during the peak of the winter season.<\/p>\n

The inspection, scheduled for Monday, December 29, will be led by SHRC Chairman Sham Bhatt<\/strong>, accompanied by Judicial Member V. Entikoti<\/strong>, senior police officials from the Human Rights wing, and other top functionaries. The visit follows a detailed complaint alleging grave violations of constitutional safeguards and binding Supreme Court directions.<\/p>\n

\n

Commission Steps In After Complaint of Rights Violations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The SHRC\u2019s intervention comes after a formal complaint filed on December 22 by human rights activist T. Narasimha Murthy<\/strong>, who accused government authorities and civic agencies of carrying out an \u201cunconstitutional and inhuman demolition\u201d of residential structures at Kogilu Layout (Survey No. 99) in the early hours of December 21.<\/p>\n

According to the complaint, around 300 homes were razed at approximately 4:00 AM<\/strong>, rendering over 1,000 people\u2014many of them women, children and the elderly\u2014homeless overnight<\/strong>, without shelter, food, water or basic amenities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was not merely a demolition; it was a deliberate assault on the dignity and survival of the poor,\u201d Murthy said. \u201cEvicting families in the dead of winter, without notice or rehabilitation, reflects a shocking collapse of constitutional morality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Bulldozer in Bengaluru’s Slum Areas ‘Kogilu & Fakeer Colony’<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Alleged Defiance of Supreme Court Directions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The complaint points to a direct violation of the Supreme Court\u2019s landmark 2024 judgment on demolitions, which mandates due process, a minimum 15-day prior notice, and an opportunity for personal hearing<\/strong> before any structure is demolished.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Supreme Court has categorically ruled that bulldozers cannot replace the rule of law,\u201d Murthy stated. \u201cWhat happened at Kogilu shows open defiance of the judiciary and contempt for fundamental rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Commission is expected to examine whether these safeguards were ignored and whether the demolitions amount to actionable human rights violations.<\/p>\n

\n

Senior Officials Named, Accountability Sought<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In a rare and forceful move, the complaint names several senior IAS and IPS officers, holding them personally responsible for what it calls a \u201clawless state of affairs\u201d and a \u201cman-made humanitarian disaster.\u201d The officials named include the heads of key urban, civic and police bodies involved in the operation.<\/p>\n

The complainant has urged the SHRC to recommend personal accountability<\/strong>, including recovery of compensation for demolished homes from the salaries of responsible officers, in line with Supreme Court directions.<\/p>\n

Legal expert Umapathi S. of LexGroup<\/strong> observed, \u201cThis case goes beyond administrative excess. If due process was ignored, individual liability becomes inevitable under constitutional and human rights jurisprudence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Condemnation of Government and Local Leadership<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Civil society groups and activists have strongly condemned the state government, the civic authority (GBA), and the local MLA<\/strong>, accusing them of orchestrating or permitting a demolition drive that prioritised brute force over humane governance.<\/p>\n

\u201cBulldozing homes at dawn, in winter, against the poorest citizens, is governance by cruelty,\u201d said Sudha Katwa of LexGroup<\/strong>. \u201cThis reflects systemic apathy and an alarming normalization of collective punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Activist Akhil Babu<\/strong> added, \u201cWhat is most disturbing is the silence and complicity of elected representatives. Development cannot be built on the ruins of human lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Hope Amid Ruins: Activists and Lawyers Step In<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Even as families continue to live in the open, the role of grassroots activists, lawyers and NGOs has emerged as a crucial lifeline. Legal teams are preparing petitions, while volunteers are mobilising food, blankets and medical aid.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe resilience of the affected families and the solidarity shown by civil society reaffirm that justice, though delayed, is not defeated,\u201d said Akhil Babu. \u201cThis struggle is far from over.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SHRC\u2019s findings from the site inspection are expected to determine the next course of action, including possible prosecutions, compensation, and directions for immediate rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

For the displaced residents of Kogilu, Monday\u2019s visit represents not just an official inspection, but a rare moment of hope that the law may yet stand with the powerless against the might of the bulldozer.<\/p>\n

\n

KEY QUOTES<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
    \n
  • \n

    T. Narasimha Murthy, Human Rights Activist:<\/strong>
    \u201cDemolishing homes at 4 AM in peak winter without due process is a grave violation of human dignity and constitutional rights.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Umapathi S., LexGroup:<\/strong>
    \u201cSupreme Court guidelines are clear\u2014bulldozers cannot replace the rule of law.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Sudha Katwa, LexGroup:<\/strong>
    \u201cThis was not urban planning; it was administrative cruelty inflicted on the poorest.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Akhil Babu, Activist:<\/strong>
    \u201cDespite repression, civil society will stand with the displaced until justice is delivered.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

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  • \n

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  • \n

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  • \n

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    <\/div>\n

    <\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    SHRC to Inspect Kogilu Demolition Site After Dawn Bulldozer Drive Leaves Hundreds Homeless Commission\u2019s top leadership to assess alleged violations of Supreme Court orders as activists condemn government and civic authorities for winter eviction Bengaluru, December 28, 2025: In a stern rebuke to what has been described as a brutal and unlawful exercise of state […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6631,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[198],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bengaluru"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6630"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6633,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6630\/revisions\/6633"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}