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Mafia-controlled Bangalore

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Written By murali772 - 28 October, 2008

Bangalore law and order Police Crime Media Reports judiciary

That's where Bangalore 's land mafia comes in. With the courts tied up in knots, gangsters offer to secure deeds in days rather than years. "Businesspeople like to do their business, but many times the system does not permit them to do it," says Gopal Hosur, the city's joint police commissioner. "Because of escalating land values, unscrupulous elements get involved. They use muscle power to take control of the land."

It is very difficult to move things in our judicial system," Umesh says. Moreover, testimony can be hard to come by. "There were lots of things going on: intimidation, tampering with witnesses." Few victims of mob violence will speak out, for fear of further harm. Witnesses are threatened; judges are afraid to try powerful mobsters.

For the full text, click on: http://www.wired.com/print/techbiz/people/magazine/16-11/mf_mobgalore

Hang my head in shame to call myself a Bangalorean.

Muralidhar Rao

COMMENTS

Government should control the real estate prices

Vasanth - 28 October, 2008 - 12:02

Government should somehow (don't know how to prevent the black market) control the real estate prices. There should not be black market price. This price should appreciate not better than the Government bank interest rates. Basically, investment in land should not yield better value than the interest of the same amount in a Nationalized Bank. Before 2000, people did not had much of interest in the real estate. Bank interest rate cutdown on Housing loans, income tax exemption for House construction, increase per capita income, especially in Metros with lucrative jobs which in turn increased the number of real estate agents who in turn controls the prices of land today started appreciating the prices in the black market to gain more brokerage. All these things lead to today's scenario. Houses and sites should be buyable by those who do not have it and not for investment purpose. If somehow the black market is stopped by a new system and the prices are controlled the way in which I mentioned earlier, people will not get attracted. Dry Land that was of no use in some outskirt corner of Mysore has been converted into sites whose prices are not less than Bangalore - Outcome of real estate agents who give attractive pictures and decide the prices.

Controlling the black market is the key

Vinay - 28 October, 2008 - 13:34

But I fear that is impossible. We have perfected the art of 'Adjust' or 'Jugaad' to such an extent that there will be some brilliant individual coming up with a way to beat any law, any rule. I think the policy of developing self contained townships and SEZs (e.g. Bidadi, Ramnagara, Nandagudi) is the way to go. BMRDA is on the right track here. There is no point in stuffing Bangalore any more. If the private developers had their way, all independent houses in Bangalore would be demolished and 'apartments' would come up in their place, effectively turning the entire city into a giant Kaggadasapura! Just build those huge satellite townships, connect them well, ensure that there are NO SIGNALS on the connecting roads (please don't make this one more ORR). Several of our problems will reduce almost exponentially. Thats why the NICE road needs to be extended to NH7 (Bellary road) ASAP.

democracy?

murali772 - 31 October, 2008 - 05:31

Comment by a Y-group member:

excellent  and brave article. and the reason our tv and newspapers wont do such exposes is obvious... the fallouts  since they are local will be immediate.. think tehlaka

We aren't much of a democracy are we?

Muralidhar Rao

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