A court in Kottayam in Kerala on Thursday ordered the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to file a case against former Transport Minister Thomas Chandy for allegedly encroaching on paddy land in Alappuzha district, The Hindu reported.
The Congress leader had resigned on November 15, 2017, amid furore over the allegations. A company that he owned allegedly violated the law to build a road through paddy fields to his resort in Alappuzha. A fact-finding report by Alappuzha District Collector TV Anupama had confirmed the illegal encroachment. In his defence, Chandy had said he built the resort 13 years ago and it was not right to raise any allegations about it now.
Kottayam Special Vigilance Court judge V Dileep passed the order after going through a report submitted by the agency, PTI reported. The court had asked the agency to file the report on November 4, 2017, acting on a petition by MK Subhash, an advocate in Alappuzha.
The former minister is likely to be charged under various sections of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, PTI quoted unidentified officials in the vigilance bureau as saying.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!