Pathankot martyr Niranjan Kumar's family seeks time before demolition of house by Bengaluru civic body

With Bengaluru civic body marking buildings that had encroached on storm water drains, for being razed, a portion of martyred NSG commando Niranjan Kumar’s house has also come under the demolition list.

“The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) officials have marked for demolition one of the three pillars on which my (late) son Lt Col Niranjan Kumar’s house is standing,” Kumar’s father Shivarajan said from Palakkad in Kerala. A pillar has encroached on a storm water drain at Doddabommassandra near Vidyaranyapura and officials have marked the portion.

Shivrajan said his wife Radha and another son (Shashank) have sought time from the BBMP to make their own arrangement “to remove the marked pillar.”

“If demolition is really required then we are ready for it. We just request the officials to give us some time so that we can build a new pillar across it,” Shashank said.

If demolition is really required then we are ready,just requesting them to give us some time so we can build a new pillar across it-Shashank

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2016

“My wife and son have sought time for removing one of the three pillars on which the house is standing. My family is bit worried about the BBMP officials using JCB (earth mover) to pull down the structure as it may cause considerable damage to the house itself,” he said.

Shivarajan is in Palakkad making arrangements for organising a function on 15 August in memory of his martyred son, a bomb expert with NSG, who sacrificed his life during the terror attack on Pathankot airbase in January this year. He was killed while sanitising a terrorist’s booby-trapped body.

Shashank told ANI that the family has not yet spoken to any government official. “A pillar of the house was marked and the officials left. It is not a common man’s house, it’s a national hero’s house,” he further added.

We haven't spoken to any of officials yet, so we haven't got any idea on what is going to happen: Shashank, Brother of Lt Col Niranjan

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2016

They just marked it (Pillar of house) and left. We will have a word with officials and then decide on this- Shashank pic.twitter.com/WgQHFFJ9F7

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2016

Even the Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara  said that the government can give an alternative site to the family to build another house.

Govt can give alternative site to them to build another house: G Parmeshwara,Karnataka HM on Lt.Col Niranjan's house pic.twitter.com/Eo3vhIiwQa

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2016

Meanwhile, BBMP continued with its encroachment clearance drive and marked many more buildings for demolition in Vidyaranyapura.

It has identified and marked properties at Yelahanka, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bommanahalli, Mahadevapura and Yeshwantpur.

The residents of these areas have strongly criticised the BBMP officials for asking them to make alternative arrangements. On Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had ordered action against 20 government officials for their involvement in encroachment of storm water drains in the city.

With inputs from PTI