Lucky Ali was about to take the stage in Dubai when he got a frantic call about people encroaching his farm land in Karnataka. The singer was worried about his family’s safety, and has now put all his “hope in the Indian judicial system”. “They (people who tried to encroach the land) always come at a time when I’m away for a show,” says Ali, who shared an open letter on Facebook, addressing the Karnataka police chief, accusing the husband of a serving IAS officer, and his brother, of encroaching his property in Kenchanahalli near Bengaluru.

The 64-year-old adds, “I was getting calls and videos of people walking on the farm. These guys are lying. They’re building a wall on the land as we speak and terrorizing us. The matter is in court now.”

Though there was a worker and some villagers at the farm with his family, Ali was worried about their safety. “Back in Dubai, I was thinking how I would perform at the concert when these people were messing around like that. But, the concert went well. I went to Mecca and Medina (Muslim pilgrimage sites) before coming back [to Bengaluru] to ensure my equilibrium,” says the singer, adding that the people in question also bring “bulldozers at the farm land for false possession”.

On tackling the situation, Ali shares, “I can’t bring in goons or ask anyone for a favour. That’s not done on my part as an artiste. If I go with the help of a politician, a responsible citizen would feel offended. What I can do is give all the evidence to the authorities and request for an action.”