Karnataka
,
Kadugondanahalli Railway Gate
,
Bengaluru Urban
Published :
Mar 2026
|
Updated :
Evictions and rehabilitation gaps: The KG Halli Railway demolition drive for Bengaluru’s suburban rail project
Reported by
Anisha Reddy
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Rakshit Dhingra, Amrita Chekkutty
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
100
Households affected
480
People affected
2025
Year started
ha.
Land area affected
100
Households affected
480
People Affected
2025
Year started
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Railways
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban and Rural
Unclassifed
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Railways
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban and Rural
Ended
1
Summary

Several families living near the Kadugondanahalli (KG Halli) railway gate in Bengaluru have been left homeless after their houses were demolished for the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project in November 2025. The drive, carried out by railway authorities, displaced around 150 families, who are now living in makeshift conditions beside the tracks without access to basic amenities like water, toilets, or shelter.

The affected families, most of them from Dalit communities and a few Muslim families, claimed to have lived here for generations, working as daily-wage labourers, domestic workers and garment factory employees. They added that they hold documents such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and utility bills tied to their addresses.

Some houses were reportedly sanctioned by local authorities in the past. A copy of a grant document, reviewed by the Times of India, shows that the erstwhile BBMP had sanctioned Rs 4 lakh in 2017 for a house construction under a scheme for SC/STs.

Residents alleged they were given little to no warning and were misled into signing consent documents without fully understanding the consequences. Many claimed that officials visited them on the pretext of a "survey" and took their "consent for the removal of a compound wall." They added they were told officials would visit for discussions, only for demolition to begin the next day. When some residents, including women, tried to resist the demolition, they alleged that police used force, resulting in injuries.

The South Western Railways, however, has denied that the residents were evicted without notice and maintained that the eviction was carried out according to the procedures.

As of February 2026, several families were living in makeshift tents near the demolished homes with no clear rehabilitation plan or confirmed compensation. Many said that have lost access to their belongings, jobs, and basic sanitation.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban and Rural

Type of Land

Common

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Residential area

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Railway Protection Force

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

South Western Railways

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Yes

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Anisha Reddy
Anisha is a journalist based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. She has reported on stories coming out of South India for the past three years.
Show more work
Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Complaint against procedural violations

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Residential area

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

JOIN
THE LCW COMMUNITY
Exclusive monthly policy briefs, stories from the ground, Quarterly Analytics report, Curated Expert talks, merchandise and much more.


Support our work.
Sign Up Today
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