Bengaluru, Jan 20 (IANS): Several families living in makeshift homes in East Bengaluru have been rendered homeless following an unauthorised demolition drive over the weekend by an engineer of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

"Since it is a private property, BBMP has no direct authority for eviction. I have asked for the suspension and repatriation of the assistant executive engineer to parent department," the civic body's special commissioner D. Randeep told IANS.

On Saturday and Sunday, the civic body engineer ordered the demolition of a slum of mostly daily wage earners, some of whom are suspected to be illegal Bangladeshis, in Kariyammana Agrahara, Deverabeesanahalli and Kundalahalli in Bengaluru.

However, the engineer does not have the authority to undertake a demolition drive, which he did with the help of the police on a piece of land not belonging to the civic body.

Randeep said the civic body will issue orders for the engineer's suspension and repatriation back to his home department.

Incidentally, BBMP commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar was not apprised of the demolition drive.

Nearly 200 tin and tarpaulin sheds were destroyed in Kariyammana Agrahara and 500 such makeshift structures were razed to the ground at Deverabeesanahalli.

The occupants of the slum were already living in fear of demolition when plainclothes policemen from Marathalli appeared on Sunday accompanying the civic body officials to destroy the slum.

However, it is not known if any relief was provided to the evacuees as Randeep did not say anything about relief.

Most of the slum dwellers work as domestic helps, housekeepers and security guards.