After serving in anti-Veerappan operations… Retired Cops fear harm from petty criminals, miscreants

MUDA vacant land at Hanchya-Sathagalli ‘B’ Zone turns a haven of immoral activities with uncleared thickets

Mysore/Mysuru: Hundreds of retired Policemen, who share the credit of being a part of an operation against forest brigand Veerappan deep inside jungles when in service, now live in the fear of petty thieves and hooligans.

The Policemen, who were involved in the anti-Veerappan operation, were allotted sites in Hanchya-Sathagalli ‘B’ Zone, behind Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) Centre, near the Outer Ring Road, where they have built houses. However, the menace of miscreants has robbed their peace, leaving them in a fix and a troubled life.

Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) owns 19.5 acres of land adjacent to Hanchya Sathagalli ‘B’ Zone, which has thickets making it a safe haven for street gamblers and petty thieves.

The whole land, which wears an abandoned look like a forest area, is a den of illegal activities to indulge in substance abuse. The petty thieves who lift spare parts of two-wheelers and four-wheelers have been stashing the booty here, before shifting them to another place, the Office-bearers of Hanchya-Sathagalli B-Zone Residents Welfare Association told Star of Mysore.

The people fear to tread by the place after dusk, as the mischief-mongers make merry with a deafening noise, turning the vacant area into an open restaurant, indulging in all other immoral activities.

The residents bemoan over neither of the authorities concerned — MUDA Engineers and Forest Department Officers responding to their repeated pleas, at least by clearing thorny trees and bushes.

Jayaswamy, a retired Police Officer said, “After having handled the job of securing people, we have lost peace at a time when we have to spend a retired life. We have been living in the fear of thieves and criminals. We have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) and Superintendent of Police (SP). Despite being in touch with MUDA Engineers, it has not yielded any results.”