AMBALLOOR: Dramatic scenes were witnessed at Amballoor village office near Tripunithura on Monday after a 70-year-old man set fire to the files apparently in protest against the revenue officers' protracted delay in surveying his land. However, timely action helped to avert a major tragedy.
Ravi Chakkalaparambil of Kanjiramattom, who set the files ablaze, was arrested within an hour of the incident taking place.
According to the staff, Ravi came at around 9.45 am. He had a bottle of petrol with him. The accused headed inside and doused the files kept on the table with petrol before setting them ablaze.
“Only Annie, a member of the cleaning staff, was present at the office when the man entered the office. Though she tried to stop him, he set the files on fire using a cigarette lighter. Around the same time, special village officer Rajeesh reached the office and he then put out the fire using his helmet and later sprayed water. The accused left the spot immediately after the incident,” said Benny, village officer.
According to him, some of the files got completely burnt in the fire. Interestingly, he claimed all the documents needed for resurveying Ravi's land had been provided to him some two weeks ago.
"He visited the office to get the documents such as the Field Measurement Book, 'Thandaperu' and Basic Tax Register to submit it before the tahsildar. Since he is an elderly person, we accorded him due respect and issued the certificate without any delay. We believe the incident was prompted by a High Court-ordered survey of his land carried out last year," said Benny.
However, Ravi had a different story when Express spoke to him at the police station.
According to Ravi, he resorted to the extreme step after getting fed up with the revenue officers' delaying tactics.“It was in 1983 I purchased around one acre from its then owner Poulose. Though I have the land documents and I am paying tax on it, I don't have any right over the land now as the survey number has been changed after the resurvey in 2003," he said.
"Though I approached the High Court and secured a favourable order last year — which directed the survey superintendent to demarcate the land — the survey officers have been delaying the survey," he said.
"Though he came last month to survey the land, he could only complete the survey of land which is lying as 'Nilam'. Though I approached the officers, they again delayed it and then I decided to set the files on fire to register my protest," he said.
Besides, Ravi said his toil of several years had been wasted as a result of the alleged machinations on the part of some land dealers. "I don't have any dues as I had been paying the land tax regularly since 1983. If I am paying the tax for the land, it's the duty of the government officers to show me the land. They have some vested interest, which is forcing them to hold up the survey process," he said as he was taken to the court. The police have registered a non-bailable offence against Ravi under Section 436 and 451 of the Indian Penal Code and PDPP.Though Express tried to contact the Survey Department authorities they were unavailable for comment.