DHNS
Bangalore, Dec 20: In a rare defeat, thepowerful real estate mafia surrendered to a unique, collective encroachment clearance drive by students and teachers of the Domlurbased Government Composite PreUniversity College on Friday. Desperate to save their school buildingfrom encroachers, they removed anidol illegally installed at the site.
Amid mounting tension, the Ulsoor police stood guard as hundredsof students and teachers cleared theencroached property.
The idol of goddess Karumariamman (also known as AdiParashakti or Om Shakti) had beeninstalled by a section of residentsand other vested interests at the site,afact brought to the fore by a frontpageDeccan Heraldreport.
Without any prior indication,the students and teachers arrived atthe site in huge numbers around 11am on Friday.
Heated exchange of words followed with the residents. When thestudents and teachers decided to remove the idol on their own, the college principal and DDPI informedthe police who rushed to the spot.
The police held an emergencymeeting with the two groups,beforeoffering protection for the idol removal. The idol is now in the custody of the police.
The police had taken three localresidents into custody as a precautionary measure. They were released later. The tension had eased by evening, and the situation wasback to normal later. The police security continued even after the idol removal.
As per records, the land belongs to the college. A few local residents had allegedly encroached the land covering over 20,000 sqft near the Domlur Bus Depot and installed the idol. The situation in the area had been tense since December 14 night when the encroachment took place.
Repeated efforts by the teachingstaff and students had failed to convince the residents about the need to remove the idol.
The encroachers had also allegedly barged into the class room,used abusive language and disrupted classes, according to College Principal RS Nagaraj.
DDPI (Bangalore South) HMarappa and the Principal had contacted a few politicians and Education Department top brass and impressed upon them the need to remove the idol. But all that they got were assurances.