Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje / Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MD)

Mangaluru, Jan 29: Families staying in eight houses on a piece of land at Bhavanti Street were on Thursday January 29 told to vacate their houses as per a court order.

The land in question is located between Ramakanthi and Roopavani theatres, and belongs to Subhash Bhat and his Mumbai-based partners. There are 31 houses on the land, out of which eight have been ordered to vacate. 

It is learnt that the order to vacate had been first passed by the civil court back in 1999. The families then approached the court, and for 15 years the issue remained in court.

On Wednesday January 28, the court passed orders for eight houses to be vacated, and accordingly, court officials as well as land owners arrived at the spot on January 29 and asked the families to move out. It is learnt that the Mumbai-based partners too had come.

The families however refused to budge and begged to be given more time. They said that they were not informed about the court order, and there was no information given in writing. "A court official came on Wednesday night and told us to vacate, but did not give the order in writing," a resident said.

The affected residents also alleged that land owner Subhash Bhat had cheated them with false promises of transferring the land in their name. "Three years ago Subhash Bhat told us that the land would be given to us if we pay him money. So families in 13 houses paid him Rs 8 lacs, but he did not transfer the land," they said, adding that have no evidence to prove their claim.

However, Subhash Bhat denied the allegations and said that he had not made any such promise nor taken any money from the occupants. He also said that he had given a time of one-and-a-half years to the families to vacate the houses, but they did not move out.

Human rights officials who arrived at the spot said that though court order cannot be questioned, the families should have been given intimation to vacate the land in advance. "The land owners are curbing the rights of the people," said human rights activist Balakrishna Rai.

The families urged the land owner to give them more time, as they do not have anywhere to go. "We have no money to build a house or pay rents. We have sons and daughters who are studying and who have exams now. We have no place to go," they said.

"The land owner has no sympathy for poor people," alleged Revathi, a resident of the area.

The court officials told the residents to respect the court order and vacate the area.

Kumar Malemar of Sri Rama Sene arrived at the spot and urged the land owner to give the families time till April. "Children have exams now, but after April they will vacate. They need just three more months.

"They will give a written agreement in front of the media that they will vacate the land by April end," he assured.

However, Subhash Bhat refused and said that the houses will be vacated on Thursday itself as per the court order and the houses will be locked. "Household items and other personal belongings which they cannot take away now will remain in the houses. They can come back later to collect them," he said.