A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has directed the State government to file a statement indicating the suggestions/recommendations made by it on various reports, including the one by former Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue and Land Management) Nivedita P Haran, on the illegal land grab in Munnar and also the action taken by the Idukki District Collector or the police on the issue of bogus title deeds.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P.Chali directed the government to state the actions in a tabular form to enable the court to ascertain whether the steps taken by the government were proper.
The order was passed on a petition filed by One Earth One Life and the Paristhithi Samrakshna Samiti of Thodupuzha. They alleged that large-scale encroachments on revenue and forestland had taken place in Munnar, Devikulam, and Kannan Devan Hill villages. The encroachers created forged titles for the land.
The petitioners pointed out that those who encroached on the land included political parties, religious organisations and government employees. Some of them had taken loans using the forged titles.
Forged title deeds
Former Additional Director General of Police(Intelligence) Rajan Madhekar in 2004 reported that around 3,000 forged title deeds were issued by officials. He reported that registers with details of original titles and tax collection had been destroyed by some of the officials. The report also said that various agents were involved in the forgery of the titles. An expert committee constituted on the recommendation of the Additional DGP had found various kinds of irregularities on the issue of titles in KDH villages. It also suggested civil and criminal action against those possessing bogus pattayams and the officials involved in forgery.
The government had assured the court that a special investigation team probe would be held into the illegal grant of titles besides a Vigilance probe.
The former Additional Chief Secretary had also recommended action against the encroachers and their eviction apart from criminal and civil action against persons having bogus possession and tax certificates.
