Mantri Square mall in Bengaluru's Malleswaram was sealed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Friday, May 10 over alleged default of property tax to the tune of Rs 50 crore. This is not the first time that the mall has been sealed due to unpaid dues, and has been shut several times with the last one being in December 2023.
On Friday, as per Section 156 of the BBMP Act, officials sealed the entrance of the mall over suspension of trade licence and non-payment of arrears. According to reports, the mall owes Rs 51 crore in tax dues to BBMP but has failed to clear the arrears despite the authorities issuing notices several times.
In November 2021, Mantri Square mall was closed for three hours due to the pending property tax. BBMP Joint Commissioner B Shivaswamy (West) had told Deccan Herald in September 2021, that the mall has not paid the tax for two years. “Owners paid Rs 5 crore at the time and asked for time to pay the dues. However, after that, the owners have still not paid their dues,” he had said.
The Indian Express had reported that for the dues of 2018-19, the owners had earlier given a cheque of Rs 10.43 crore, which bounced. This matter was also taken to the court. The mall had also been shuttered for seven hours in February 2021 for the same reason after the mall did not pay up even after notices were issued.
Just before the pandemic, the regional commissioner had told the BBMP that the Mantri Mall and the adjacent Mantri Greens apartment encroached on BBMP land, and the BBMP wanted to demolish parts of the building. In March 2020, the High Court stayed the move to demolish parts of the building.