CBI books two including CM Chandy’s ex gunman
30 April 2014 11:32 PM GMT
‘CBI has registered two cases on the directions of the Kerala High Court...relating to alleged multi-crore land fraud at Kochi and Trivandrum (Kerala),’ CBI spokesperson said here on Tuesday.
The agency has registered the first case under IPC sections related to cheating and forgery against the then two village officers--both of Revenue Department--and three other persons on the allegations that the accused persons indulged in land-grabbing, cheating and forgery to the tune of about Rs 25 crores, the official said.
‘It was alleged that the accused persons criminally conspired with each other and prepared false, forged and fabricated documents of the properties of the complainant’s family with an intention to misappropriate his ancestral land measuring 116 cents at Pathadipalam, Thrikkakara North village, Ernakulam (Kerala) to the cost of Rs. 25 crores (approx),’ CBI said.
It is also alleged that his family was having enmity with the accused persons and a number of civil and criminal cases were pending in various courts and police station.
In the second case, the agency has named Salimraj as an accused along with 26 others which included six public servants.
‘It has been alleged in the FIR that the accused persons had conspired to grab private land in Kadakampally village measuring about 44 acres at a cost of Rs 450 crores (approx) by fabricating and manipulating revenue records of Kadakampally village (Kerala),’ the spokesperson said.
The official said the accused persons allegedly entered into illegal transactions, including mutations in the records of the village office, and deprived the legal title-holders of the land of their possession and ownership.
In its order, the Kerala High Court had allowed the petitions in the landgrabbing cases in Thrikkakara and Kadakkampally in Thiruvananthapuram, saying the CBI probe should be completed in nine months.
The court had held that a direction for CBI investigation was necessary since offences have been made out prima facie by several persons, including higher officials and persons capable of wielding high influence and pressure in the field of administration. The state government had expressed no objection to CBI probe, the court held.
‘Serious allegations have been made against the accused of colluding and conspiring with Revenue Department officials in forging and fabricating false documents and records for the purpose of defeating the title of the petitioners,’ it said.
The court had said it was evident from records that Salim Raj, now under suspension and described by the petitioners as ‘gang leader of the land mafia’, and his associates had held multiple meetings with landowners and pressurised them to part with the land.
Salim Raj had also allegedly threatened the petitioners with dire consequences if their demands were not met. The same team was involved in both the incidents and the method of operation was also same, the court had pointed out.
It directed the police officers in charge of investigation and the revenue officials to hand over all the case records, including vigilance inquiry report, to CBI which shall commence further investigation and complete the same in nine months.
CBI should register FIR in Kadakampally case since no FIR was registered pursuant to the complaints. The probe agency shall investigate the case from all angles, take assistance of the petitioners, Revenue Intelligence, Vigilance and Anti- Corruption Bureau, Police and other agencies and submit a final report to the jurisdictional court.
The agency has registered the first case under IPC sections related to cheating and forgery against the then two village officers--both of Revenue Department--and three other persons on the allegations that the accused persons indulged in land-grabbing, cheating and forgery to the tune of about Rs 25 crores, the official said.
‘It was alleged that the accused persons criminally conspired with each other and prepared false, forged and fabricated documents of the properties of the complainant’s family with an intention to misappropriate his ancestral land measuring 116 cents at Pathadipalam, Thrikkakara North village, Ernakulam (Kerala) to the cost of Rs. 25 crores (approx),’ CBI said.
It is also alleged that his family was having enmity with the accused persons and a number of civil and criminal cases were pending in various courts and police station.
In the second case, the agency has named Salimraj as an accused along with 26 others which included six public servants.
‘It has been alleged in the FIR that the accused persons had conspired to grab private land in Kadakampally village measuring about 44 acres at a cost of Rs 450 crores (approx) by fabricating and manipulating revenue records of Kadakampally village (Kerala),’ the spokesperson said.
The official said the accused persons allegedly entered into illegal transactions, including mutations in the records of the village office, and deprived the legal title-holders of the land of their possession and ownership.
In its order, the Kerala High Court had allowed the petitions in the landgrabbing cases in Thrikkakara and Kadakkampally in Thiruvananthapuram, saying the CBI probe should be completed in nine months.
The court had held that a direction for CBI investigation was necessary since offences have been made out prima facie by several persons, including higher officials and persons capable of wielding high influence and pressure in the field of administration. The state government had expressed no objection to CBI probe, the court held.
‘Serious allegations have been made against the accused of colluding and conspiring with Revenue Department officials in forging and fabricating false documents and records for the purpose of defeating the title of the petitioners,’ it said.
The court had said it was evident from records that Salim Raj, now under suspension and described by the petitioners as ‘gang leader of the land mafia’, and his associates had held multiple meetings with landowners and pressurised them to part with the land.
Salim Raj had also allegedly threatened the petitioners with dire consequences if their demands were not met. The same team was involved in both the incidents and the method of operation was also same, the court had pointed out.
It directed the police officers in charge of investigation and the revenue officials to hand over all the case records, including vigilance inquiry report, to CBI which shall commence further investigation and complete the same in nine months.
CBI should register FIR in Kadakampally case since no FIR was registered pursuant to the complaints. The probe agency shall investigate the case from all angles, take assistance of the petitioners, Revenue Intelligence, Vigilance and Anti- Corruption Bureau, Police and other agencies and submit a final report to the jurisdictional court.
Next Story
