Mangaluru, January 29: As per the court order, the families residing in eight houses in a land at Bhavanti Street (Ghatti Bittil), were intimated on Thursday January 29th, to vacate soon.
The said land belongs to Suresh Bhat and his Mumbai-based partners. It is situated between Ramakanthi and Roopavani theaters. Out of the 31 houses on the land, eight have been ordered to vacate.
It is learnt that, initially in 1999, the civil court had passed the order to vacate the houses. The families then approached the court, and for 15 years the case remained in court.
The court had passed orders on Wednesday January 28th, for eight houses to be vacated, and accordingly, court officials as well as land owners arrived at the spot on January 29th and asked the families to move out. It is learnt that the Mumbai-based partners also had arrived.
However, the families denied to shift and urged to be given more time. They said that they were not informed about the court order, and also no information was given to them in writing. “A court official came on Wednesday night and told us to vacate, but did not hand over the order copy”, said one of the residents. The residents also alleged that land owner Suresh Bhat had cheated them with false assurances of transferring the land in their name. They said, “Three years ago Suresh Bhat told us that land would be given to us if amount is paid to him. He has been paid Rs 8 lacs, by the families in 13 houses but he did not transfer the land”. They also said, they do not possess evidences to prove it.
Suresh 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 the families were given a time of one-and-a-half years to vacate the houses, but they failed to vacate.
Human rights officials who arrived at the spot said, though court order cannot be questioned, the families should have been informed to vacate the houses in advance.
Balakrishna Rai human rights activist, said, “The land owners are curbing the rights of the people”.
The families have urged the land owner to grant them more time, as the exams of their children are approaching.
Court officials have informed the families to obey the court order and vacate the houses.
Kumar Malemar of Sri Rama Sene who arrived at the spot, requested the land owner to grant some time till April to the families as the children have exams. He assured that, “The families will give a written agreement in front of the media stating that they will vacate the land by April end”.
But, Suresh Bhat denied their plea and said that per the court order, the houses will be vacated on Thursday itself and later the houses will be locked.
He said, “All the belongings which the families are unable to shift now will remain in the houses and can be collected later”.
