Senior advocate KN Puttegowda, the man who tirelessly defended Bengaluru’s public lands for nearly four decades, passed away this week at the age of 69 after a long, painful battle with motor neuron disease (MND).

For many, he was the unsung hero behind BBMP’s victories in over 8,000 legal battles since 1986 — cases that saved lakes, parks, and open spaces across the city from encroachment and greed. From Dasarahalli Lake to Byrasandra, from Milk Colony to BTM Layout, his courtroom grit helped reclaim Bengaluru’s commons.

But in the end, the very system he served with quiet devotion failed him.

Diagnosed with MND in 2022, Puttegowda lost his speech, mobility, and independence — and yet BBMP left ₹35 lakh in legal dues unpaid since 2014, forcing his family to bear ₹2 lakh/month in medical costs. He wasn’t asking for charity. Just what was owed.

In one of his final pleas, he wrote:

“The government gives ₹25 lakh to suicide victims. I protected public lands worth crores. My health declined due to overwork. My case deserves special consideration.”

That consideration never came. Only a token ₹10 lakh was paid when he was on his deathbed.

Even outside the courtroom, Puttegowda was fearless. In 2008, he led a boycott of the state’s chief justice over corruption charges, an act so bold it led to the latter’s transfer and resignation — rare accountability at the highest level.

His life was one of frugality, duty, and discipline. His daughters recall a man who raised them to be self-reliant. His wife, a partner in silence, said:

“We barely went on vacations. He was always working — fighting someone’s battle.”

True to his principles, he donated his body to Adichunchanagiri Hospital for medical research and to aid the visually impaired.

As former law minister Suresh Kumar poignantly said:

“One of us became a minister. The other became the greatest advocate the city has ever seen.”

His autobiography, Mareyuva Munna (“Before Forgetting”), now stands as a testament to a life of relentless service, integrity, and sacrifice

Read also: