The Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) has issued a show-cause notice to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), asking why it should not impose a fine of ₹25,000 for not submitting a report for a joint survey conducted by the then Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the present GBA on the encroachment of the Quit India Movement Martyr’s Memorial site at Mysore Bank Circle in the city by a temple trust.
KIC expressed concern, saying that if GBA Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao does not give appropriate directions and take action for the preservation of the memorial, there is no doubt that the memorial will disappear from the pages of history.
The Martyrs’ Memorial has allegedly been encroached upon by the Shanaishchara Temple Trust, which is constructing a huge statue in the space without taking permission from government authorities, including the GBA.
Activist H.M. Venkatesh, member of Naija Horatagarara Vedike, a forum of social activists, had expressed outrage over the failure of the State government and the GBA to protect the memorial of those who sacrificed their lives for the country. He had, on April 11, 2025, written to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and the civic body to protect the memorial.
The GBA and Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban District had conducted a joint survey in 2022–23 regarding the encroachment of the martyrs’ memorial. Mr. Venkatesh had filed a petition with the GBA under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, for the provision of the survey report. The GBA, which replied to Mr. Venkatesh on December 23, 2025, said that no information related to the said matter was available in the office.
Later, Mr. Venkatesh had filed an appeal with the KIC in this regard.
The KIC Commissioner, who conducted the inquiry into the case, said, “On examining the case, the information sought by the appellants is of paramount public interest, as it is a memorial to the martyrs, a symbol of patriotism. In 1942, students and workers participated in the Quit India movement against the British, and during that time, the students were martyred by British bullets, and therefore, in 1972, a 10-foot-long memorial stone was installed at the Mysore Bank Circle. However, the administration’s refusal to protect the memorial and the information sought by the appellants shows the ignorance of the authorities.”
The Commission said that at present, the documents show that the memorial has become a lamp-lighting stone inside the temple. “GBA officials forgot to provide the information recorded in the Karnataka State Gazetteer, Volume 5, 1972, and gave false information under the RTI Act,” the Commission lamented.
The GBA officials have been ordered to issue a written explanation under the RTI Act for giving false information that the information was not available and forgetting the protection of public property and that it is a monument of national importance.
The Commission has also recommended disciplinary action against the Public Information Officer under the Act for allegedly mishandling the nation’s most important public asset. It has directed the filing of objections and adjourned the hearing to January 20, 2025.
Published – January 19, 2026 11:34 pm IST
