Ten Arrested After GBA Officials Attacked During Footpath Clearance Drive in Bengaluru's Shivajinagar
Bengaluru, July 21: Ten people were arrested after Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials, engineers and vehicle operators were allegedly assaulted with helmets, hands and pepper spray during a footpath encroachment clearance drive near Commercial Street in Shivajinagar on Tuesday, police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Vikram Amte said a case had been registered at Commercial Street Police Station in connection with the attack and obstruction of public servants. Police initially secured seven people and later confirmed that 10 had been arrested after examining CCTV footage and other evidence. According to police, four of those arrested are believed to be associated with an organisation while six are vendors. Their exact roles and backgrounds are being verified, and police said action would be taken against everyone found involved.
The clearance operation began at around 10.15 am near the Shivajinagar bus stand and Commercial Street area as part of GBA’s ongoing Safe Footpath Campaign. Officials said the drive proceeded without incident until around 12.30 pm, when a group allegedly confronted the enforcement team, obstructed the operation and attacked personnel.
According to GBA officials, an Assistant Executive Engineer, assistant engineers and a JCB operator were among those assaulted. Officials alleged that pepper spray was used against a woman engineer and other staff members, while another engineer was pushed to the ground. An engineer who intervened was allegedly struck with a helmet. The JCB operator told officials he was sprayed in the face, causing severe irritation to his eyes, forcing him to stop the machine.
The injured personnel were taken for medical examination. GBA Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said two machine operators had been admitted to hospital while other officials were also sent for medical check-ups after recording their complaints at the police station.
Vikram Amte said Crime No. 126/26 had been registered at Commercial Street Police Station under provisions relating to obstructing and assaulting public servants and other applicable non-bailable offences. Two special teams have been formed to trace and arrest the remaining accused. Additional police personnel, including ACP-rank officers and Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) personnel, have been deployed to ensure the clearance drive continues.
Byre Gowda said the Safe Footpath Campaign had so far removed various encroachments from nearly 600 km of footpaths across Bengaluru. The drive has targeted shop extensions, ramps, staircases, advertisement boards and other obstructions affecting pedestrian movement.
The minister alleged that the attack was carried out by individuals who were not street vendors but were allegedly exploiting vendors and collecting money from them. Referring to a person identified as Basavaraj, he said police had been instructed to arrest him immediately if his role was established during the investigation. He also said stringent legal provisions, including the Goonda Act, should be invoked if warranted.
Byre Gowda said attacks on government officials carrying out lawful duties would not be tolerated and that there would be no compromise in pursuing legal action against those responsible.
Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad also condemned the violence and said he had spoken to police and civic authorities, urging strict action against those responsible. He said the footpath clearance drive had been underway in the constituency for nearly two weeks without any major incident and that the actions of a few individuals should not be portrayed as opposition from the entire locality.
Arshad said the clearance drive was being conducted in the interest of pedestrians and the public. While street vendors have the right to earn a livelihood, he said pedestrians also have an equal right to use public footpaths and no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
Following the incident, GBA officers and employees assembled outside Commercial Street Police Station demanding protection for field staff and immediate arrests of all those involved. GBA Officers and Employees’ Association president Amruth Raj warned that municipal employees across Karnataka would launch protests and suspend work if action was not taken within 24 hours. He also demanded adequate police protection for officials undertaking enforcement drives in sensitive areas.
Some shopkeepers and vendors, however, alleged that they had not been given adequate time to remove their belongings before the demolition began. One woman claimed her refrigerator, showcase and merchandise were damaged, while another vendor alleged that no advance notice had been issued before the operation. These claims have not been independently verified.
Police remained deployed in the area to maintain law and order. Authorities said the footpath encroachment clearance drive would continue with enhanced security.
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