Quit India Movement Site of Martyrs Memorial in Bengaluru. | Photo credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
The Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) has issued a show-cause notice to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) for not imposing a fine of ₹25,000 for not submitting a report for a joint inquiry conducted by the then Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the current GBA into the encroachment of the My Morore The Circle movement in the Indian city by a temple trust.
Expressing concern, the KIC said that if GBA Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao does not give appropriate directions and take steps to preserve the monument, there is no doubt that the monument will disappear from the pages of history.
The Martyrs’ Memorial has reportedly been encroached upon by the Shanaishchara Temple Trust, which is erecting a huge statue in the space without obtaining permission from government authorities, including the GBA.
Activist HM Venkatesh, a member of Naija Horatagarara Vedike, a forum of social activists, expressed outrage at the failure of the state government and the GBA to protect the memorial of those who sacrificed their lives for the country. On 11 April 2025, he wrote to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and the civic body to protect the monument.
The GBA and the Bengaluru Municipal Deputy Commissioner conducted a joint survey in 2022-2023 regarding the defacement of the Martyrs’ Memorial. Mr. Venkatesh filed an application with the GBA under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 to provide the survey report. The GBA, replying to Mr. Venkatesh on 23 December 2025, stated that no information related to the said matter was available in the office.
Later, Mr. Venkatesh filed an appeal to the Knowledge and Innovation Community in this regard.
The KIC Commissioner, who was investigating the case, said, “While investigating the case, the information sought by the appellants is of paramount public interest as it is a martyr’s memorial, 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 102 British bullets, a stone monument has been installed at Mysore Bank Circle However, the refusal of the administration to protect the monument and the information requested by the appellants shows the ignorance of the authorities.
The commission said that at present the documents show that the monument has become a stone lighting a lamp inside the temple. “The GBA officials have neglected to provide the information recorded in the Karnataka State Gazetteer, Volume 5, 1972 and have given false information under the RTI Act,” lamented the Commission.
The GBA officials were directed to submit a written explanation under the RTI Act for giving false information, that the information was not available and they forgot to protect the public property and that it is a monument of national importance.
The commission also recommended disciplinary action against the Public Information Officer under the Act for alleged mishandling of the country’s most important public asset. She ordered the filing of objections and adjourned the hearing to January 20, 2025.
Published – 19 Jan 2026 23:34 IST
