KOCHI: The Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau (VACB) has registered cases against a former district survey superintendent, a taluk surveyor and three private persons for transferring government land illegally.
Two separate cases were registered against retired district survey superintendent A L George, Kanayannur taluk surveyor Jiju Paul and Kakkanad-natives N G Leela, P S Markose and his wife P V Thanki.
Earlier, a quick verification conducted by the VACB had unveiled irregularities in the transfer of land at Kakkanad to Leela and Markose.
As per the FIR in the first case, George conspired with Jiju and transferred 2.12 ares of government land to Leela at Kakkanad in 2005, flouting norms (resurvey number 732/1 - 732/17). In the second case, irregularities were detected in the registration of 1.21 are of land owned by Markose and Thanki (resurvey number 387/10). It was found the accused manipulated the resurvey process and added 0.57 are of government land to their legally owned land (resurvey number 387/23).
The matter came to light during a probe conducted by the agency into alleged irregularities in a ‘survey adalat’ organised by the office of the district survey superintendent in 2015. The VACB will be probing whether the officials gained any pecuniary benefit from the deal.
The cases were registered under Section-13(1-d-ii)and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section-120(b) of the India Penal Code.
George, the first accused, retired from service in April 2016, while Jiju Paul is serving as the Aluva taluk surveyor.