Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jun 15: Gregory Patrao, farmer from Kalavar near here, whose land was recently acquired by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, submitted a petition on Sunday June 13, to Karnataka State Minorities Commission, accusing Dakshina Kannada district administration of heaping injustice and sufferings on him. He demanded for the return of his movable assets that were confiscated by the district administration during the raid. “All my assets should be given back to me without any preconditions,” he demanded.

Chairman of the commission, Khusro Qureshi, summoned the officials, who had played a major role in getting Patrao evicted from his home, to Circuit House here, and held discussions with them. City police commissioner, Seemant Kumar Singh, assistant commissioner, Prabhulinga Kavalikatti, tahsildar, Manjunath, and special land acquisition officer, Krishnamurty, appeared before Qureshi and provided him with necessary details.

Speaking to reporters later, Qureshi said that as per his evaluation, Patrao was victimized. “Some organizations had approached me on Saturday, complaining that Patrao suffered from injustice. Preliminary enquiries reveal that this is true. There is something wrong somewhere. I am still to make out why the officials behaved the day they did in this case,” he said. Qureshi termed Gregory as a pride of agricultural community, because of his bold refusal to lose his land, even though a good amount was offered to him as compensation. He opined that setting up industries by sacrificing farm lands is not in the interests of the country.

“Even before getting a copy of the court order, Gregory’s home was demolished by the officials. In our country, even terrorist Kasab has been given a chance to appeal. In Gregory’s case, he was not given an opportunity even to question the order of the divisional bench through a review petition. About a hundred policemen stood guard as his house was brought down. This is inhuman,” complained representatives of Karavali Karnataka Janabhivriddhi Vedike, Citizens Forum and Catholic Sabha. They said that the administration has been forcing Gregory to sign a bond, agreeing to move out of his land, if his belongings are returned to him. They accused the officials of committing wrongs and demanded for the return of Gregory’s assets in their original condition.

Vidya Dinker, Capt vaz, Tracy D’Cunha, Margaret Abria and Ivan of Citizens Forum, Vedike representatives, B R Bhat, Prakash and Shabbir, as well as Walter Pinto and Deepak D’Souza on behalf of Catholic Sabha, were present.