Hundreds of Muslim families were rendered homeless after authorities in the Indian city of Bengaluru carried out pre dawn demolitions in two Muslim majority settlements, leaving entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble within hours. Bulldozers moved into Fakir Colony and Waseem Layout in Kogilu village at around 4am on Saturday 20 December, demolishing large sections of both areas by sunrise. Residents said the operation was conducted without any prior notice, leaving families with no time to gather belongings or seek shelter.

According to residents and local media reports, more than 400 homes were demolished by the Greater Bengaluru Authority, displacing an estimated 3,000 people. Those affected included elderly residents, women, and hundreds of children, many of whom were forced to remain outdoors throughout the early morning as winter temperatures dropped. Several families were seen sitting beside the debris of their homes, wrapped in thin clothing, with no access to food, water, or immediate assistance.

Members of the Fakir community, a historically marginalised Muslim group in India, were among those most affected. Many families in the area rely on begging, devotional singing, street performances, or irregular daily labour for survival. Longstanding social exclusion has restricted access to stable housing, education, and formal employment, resulting in generations living in informal settlements without basic services. Residents said they believed their long term residence and possession of government issued identity documents would protect them from eviction.

An elderly woman, sitting beside the remains of her home, told Maktoob Media that she had lived in the area for decades and held voter ID, Aadhaar, and PAN cards. She said officials did not allow residents to retrieve belongings before demolishing the structures and that even carts used for livelihood were destroyed. Other residents described being left on the roadside with small children in the cold, with no official present to explain the action or provide relief.

Several families said electricity and internet services were cut a day before the demolitions, adding to the sense of pressure and uncertainty. Residents also said they had faced harassment for the past few years, with the demolitions marking the culmination of growing insecurity. Many stressed that more than 500 children from the settlements attend government and private schools and that families have voted in local and national elections for years.

Officials from the Greater Bengaluru Authority stated that the demolished homes were built illegally on encroached land near a pond adjacent to a government Urdu school and lacked official permission. Residents rejected this claim, saying they had lived there for nearly 20 to 30 years and were never served formal eviction notices. Under Indian legal norms and multiple court rulings, long standing settlements are generally required to receive notice and be considered for rehabilitation before eviction.

The demolition was carried out under heavy police deployment, with around 150 officers present and four large earthmovers used to flatten the homes. Authorities also alleged that many residents had migrated from neighbouring states and belonged to the Durvish community, a claim residents said was being used to question their legitimacy and long standing ties to the area.

As night fell, displaced families remained near the ruins of their homes, clutching identity documents and waiting for assistance. As of Saturday evening, authorities had not announced any compensation, temporary shelter, or rehabilitation plan for those affected, leaving thousands stranded without protection or clarity about their future.