Bengaluru, January 30, 2026 – The Karnataka High Court has taken up a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the December 2025 demolition of over 300 houses in Wasim Layout and Fakir Colony (also known as Old Fakir Colony) in Kogilu village near Yelahanka, North Bengaluru, amid claims of illegal encroachment on government lake-catchment land earmarked for a solid waste processing unit.

The PIL, filed by affected residents Zaiba Tabassum (also spelled Jaiba Tabassum), Rehana, and Arif Begum (or Areefa Begum), argues that the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA)-led drive on December 20, 2025, razed homes without prior show-cause notices or the mandatory 15-day window mandated by Supreme Court guidelines for evictions on encroachment grounds, leaving around 3,000 people—predominantly poor Dalit, Muslim, and Fakir families—homeless. Petitioners claim long-term occupation (up to 28 years), supported by voter IDs and temporary allotment letters, and seek immediate rehabilitation within a 5-km radius, compensation for losses (including textbooks and hall tickets), medical aid for injuries, and contempt proceedings against officials.

On January 29, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty defended the state, asserting most structures post-dated May 2025 (with Google Earth images showing no builds until post-2013), rendering long-term residency claims “factually incorrect”; the site, spanning 14 acres of former quarry pits used for garbage dumping, poses health risks from leachate and groundwater contamination in a lake catchment area. He clarified Supreme Court norms do not apply to government land evictions and noted three sites earmarked for temporary rehab with food, water, and amenities, though petitioners countered that 15 families recently refused facilities due to unresolved eligibility.

The bench questioned procedure adherence despite voter ID evidence and adjourned the matter to next Wednesday (February 4, 2026) for detailed state response and petitioner rejoinder, having earlier (January 6) denied interim relief given rehab assurances. The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has separately urged temporary shelters, meals, mobile health units, and toilets while stressing due process in public-interest development.

Political heat lingers: Minority Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan promised housing by January 1 (now delayed), drawing criticism from Samyukta Horata Karnataka for restricting aid to documented Karnataka residents, amid netizen mockery of “pitch-a-tent” rehab schemes. This case underscores Bengaluru’s growing tensions between urban expansion, environmental protection, and slum rehabilitation amid rapid North Bengaluru growth.

  Kogilu layout demolitions