From drugs to sexual harassment: Bengaluru complex 'fined' residents and kept police in the dark

A residential complex in Bengaluru is at the centre of a major criminal investigation after police accused its apartment association and a private security firm of operating an illegal parallel justice system that systematically suppressed serious crimes, including drug possession and sexual harassment.

The Kumbalgodu police have registered a suo motu criminal case against the Provident Sunworth Apartment Association and Tyko Security Pvt Ltd. This follows a preliminary inquiry that revealed the association allegedly imposed unauthorised penalties totalling over Rs 3.3 lakh between July and November on individuals caught with drugs or partying late into the night within the complex.

The investigation, according to a TOI report, was triggered by an anonymous complaint from a resident. It alleged the association had framed its own bylaws to internally “investigate” and “settle” criminal offences, bypassing the official legal system entirely. Police findings substantiated these claims, leading to the case being filed on Tuesday.

Senior officers allege a disturbing pattern of collusion between the association and the security agency. They are accused of conducting unauthorised inquiries into a range of cognisable offences — from narcotics possession and theft to sexual harassment and assault — imposing fines between Rs 10,000 and Rs 50,000. The accused were then allegedly allowed to either remain in the complex or vacate quietly, with no police complaint ever filed.

“This is a clear case of deliberate suppression of cognizable offences,” a senior police officer was cited by TOI as saying. “By collecting fines and not reporting crimes, they denied justice to the victims and helped the accused persons evade legal actions.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Anitha B Haddannavar has reportedly confirmed the complex houses many student tenants from nearby colleges. She stated that police had verified the association illegally collected penalties from residents, particularly students, for alleged misconduct and emphasised that serious offences cannot be settled internally under any circumstances.

Police noted that while the association, formed in 2003, had legitimate bylaws for minor infractions like parking violations, these were unlawfully extended to criminal matters in recent months. The basement office was allegedly used as a collection point for these penalties, accepted both in cash and via online transfers.

DCP Haddannavar further stressed that apartment associations hold no legal authority to conduct investigations or impose penalties for criminal offences and that such matters must be reported immediately to police.

The cover-up has severely hampered the official investigation. Police say several residents who paid fines were forced to vacate, complicating efforts to trace both victims and accused individuals. Authorities are now working to identify all those who paid penalties since 2023.

The association has not yet issued any public statement regarding the police charges.

A case has been registered under sections 211, 238 and 239 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, pertaining to the failure to report offences, disappearance of evidence and intentional omission of information. Provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act have also been invoked.