Men Threaten Ex-Filmmaker to Vacate Doddaballapur Farm, Cut Power and Water

A former documentary filmmaker and his family face intimidation and threats after a group of men allegedly backed by their landowner severed their power and water supply in Doddaballapur, rural Bengaluru, demanding they vacate their leased farm immediately.

Anthony Henri, who previously worked in journalism after directing documentaries, moved to rural Doddaballapur to lease a stretch of farmland where he raises sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, and fish. He holds a valid seven-year lease agreement for the property.

According to Henri, a group of men descended on the farm without warning and ordered him to vacate or face action. Henri pleaded for time, explaining that uprooting the livestock and fish without adequate notice would cause severe losses. When the men disregarded the lease agreement, Henri approached the local authorities and submitted a complaint.

Officers summoned both parties to the Doddaballapur Rural police station to hear the matter, but Henri said the meeting brought no resolution. Retaliation followed soon after, with men using a hammer to tear down his power lines and cut off the water supply, plunging the property into darkness and issuing further threats if he refused to leave.

The severed utilities have left the family and their animals in distress. Henri lives on the farm with his wife, four-year-old daughter, and elderly aunt. Henri noted that about 500 fish in his tank and his farm animals could die within days without water, which could lead to losses amounting to Rs 50 lakh to Rs 60 lakh.

When contacted, Range Inspector General of Police S Girish said he had not received the complaint directly but committed to contacting the Doddaballapur Rural police to resolve the matter. Following the IGP's intervention, a local police team visited the farm to inspect and ascertain the damage.