In a shocking incident, hundreds of residents in an upscale gated community in Bengaluru's Electronic City are allegedly under threat after a few goons, some of them believed to be armed, were seen occupying the complex's residential welfare office. The goons, the residents allege, were sent by the apartment’s builder.
It all started when the residents of Ajmera Infinity, a community situated on Neeladri Road allegedly opposed the builder's move to combine the facilities of their apartment with his new project that was coming up close by.
On April 12, goons came twice to the apartment building. After the first bunch was reported to the police and removed, a second bunch arrived in the evening and settled down in the complex's office. The residents, though unsure of it, feared that an object that one of the goons was holding in his hand looked like a gun.
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"We had a 18.5 acre Ajmera Infinity community which was built in 2008-09. Ajmera housing corporation, the builder later tried to attach new properties- Ajmera Avenues and Ajmera Villows, that he owned and said that the amenities in Ajmera Infinity can be shared by them," Umesh (name changed), one of the residents, told The News Minute.
When asked what kind of amenities was being shared, Umesh said that the residents of Ajmera Villows and Ajmera Avenues had used water from Ajmera Infinity and the bill would come to them.
“We asked them to pay but they would find some fault and not pay. Later we even demanded them to merge the complexes legally. But when that did not happen that is when we started protesting,” said Kalyan (name changed on request), another resident.
"After four months of struggle we cut off water supply to the other properties and started building the wall on Sunday. Opposing that the builder has deployed goons in the campus since then," said Umesh.
“On Tuesday, the builder laid water pipelines connecting Ajmera Villows and Ajmera Anvenues. The pipeline for that passes through Ajmera Infinity campus. This might be problematic later,” said Kalyan.
He also alleged that the builder had a marketing office inside the apartment complex, which was illegal.
"The builder is showing amenities in this apartment complex to the customers of the neighbouring projects. He is telling them that these facilities can be shared, which is not fair," he said.
The residents have now lodged a complaint with the police alleging harassment and threats. However, even that did not have any effect as Deccan Chronicle reported:
What was even more shocking was when the harried residents approached the police to lodge a complaint against blatant hooliganism on Wednesday evening, the policemen allegedly told them to sort out the matter amicably between themselves and dissuaded them from filing a complaint. They got no response from the police, despite repeated attempts.
Speaking to The News Minute, Mithun Shilpe, Electronic City police inspector, said that the residents of neighbouring complexes are fighting among each other and are filing cases of trespass against each other.
Shilpe dismissed the problems saying that it was a petty issue between residents of two apartment complexes owned by the same builder.
Vishal Mittal, who is a part of the legal action committee in Ajmera Infinity said "We have been struggling with this issue for over 4-5 months. We have tried to file multiple complaints against the builder, but the police would just take the complaint sheet and would ask us to compromise. None of our complaints have been taken so far and we feel that the police is acting hand-in-glove with the builder."
Hirek Kayal, resident of Ajmera Villows (Phase 1) said that the joint development agreement, the sale deed and all other documents mention that their property is a part of the 18.5 acre project.
"It is illegal for the association to cut us off just like that," he said.
One of the residents of Ajmera Infinity recorded a video of one of the goons brandishing a gun on Tuesday night, and uploaded it on social media.
"Our sale deed and the joint development agreement had mentioned that we are part of the 18.5 acres. Now the residents of Ajmera Infinity do not have proof that the amenities were meant only for them. Since they would not take money from us for the water, we paid the builder. The builder had to pay the association according to the meter readings, however they demanded a lumpsome amount of Rs 7.5 lakh. When the builder refused unless they gave a proper invoice, they cut our water supply," says Hirak Kayal, resident of Ajmera Villows (Phase 1)