BBMP claims that they had warned residents of a drive to remove such encroachments.
With over 110 buildings partially or fully demolished, residents continued to be inconvenienced by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) demolition drive today. Another 1100 encroachments have been identified.
While those who lost their homes say they followed the law, BBMP claims that they had warned residents of a drive to remove such encroachments.
Speaking to NDTV, Mahendra Kumar, whose house was razed partially, said, "We took loans from two nationalised banks which have their own checks. We are tax payers - but those same officials whose salary is paid from our tax brought our house down."
Mr Kumar, who had quit his job to found a startup, had built his dream house at a cost of Rs 3.3 crore at Shubh enclave in Bengaluru's IT corridor. Destruction of the house was certainly not a part of the plan, he says.
Narrating the ordeal, Mr Kumar's wife, Roopa, said, "I was inside the house. They informed me five minutes before demolition started. I didn't know what to take out."
"We have four dogs who are so disturbed," she added.
Shubha enclave is just one of the areas hit by BBMP bulldozers and is about one kilometre away from two lakes. The municipal body claims constructions have taken place over a storm water drain that connects the two lakes.
The municipal body was under pressure after floods drowned parts of the city. They blame the floods on encroachments and had warned that there would be a drive to demolish them.
BBMP engineer G Parameshwarappa, who was at the site, said that they had partially demolished five houses and had razed two others to ground because they were blocking storm water drains.