KOCHI: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has silently swept under the carpet a case which pertained to blatant violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) at Chilavanoor by 10 major builders and three prominent personalities.Vigilance officers told Express the case has been ‘purposefully’ cold-shouldered after an expert committee did a scientific survey of the area and submitted a detailed report to the Vigilance confirming CRZ violations and encroachments by the accused.
“There’s a concerted move to help the violators and senior officers of Kochi Corporation, who received kickbacks for according official sanction to the projects,” the officers said. As per the details accessed, the case (VC No-4/2014/EKM) was being probed by a team of vigilance officers as per an order of vigilance court in Thrissur when a Chilavanoor resident identified as A V Antony approached it submitting CRZ violations and large-scale corruption.
A senior scientist, who was in the expert committee, confirmed their report pointed out all the violations committed by the violators.“We carried out a detailed survey with the help of satellite images and maps to identify the violations and encroachments,” said the scientist.It was between 2002 and 2014 the said violators connived with the corporation officers for carrying out the construction projects violating the CRZ.
“Though the vigilance officers approached me for collecting my statement, they never completed the process. It seems they’re delaying the probe. I’ll be approaching the court again complaining about the delay,” said Antony. When contacted, VACB director Nirmal Chandra Asthana said he would comment only after studying the case in detail.