KOCHI: A portion of St John’s Pattom Government Lower Primary School, established in 1924 in Fort Kochi and closed since 2016 due to lack of students, was demolished by a group of people acting on the instructions of a woman who claimed rights over the property.
Following a complaint filed by the Mattancherry sub-district education officer, a case was registered under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act against the woman who allegedly led the demolition, said a source with Kochi city police. The incident occurred around 11.30am on Tuesday.
After being alerted by local residents, the complainant rushed to the spot and halted the demolition midway.
Responding to the incident, the Fort Kochi SHO said, “Acting on the complaint, we registered a case under the PDPP Act. The estimated loss caused by the demolition is around `8 lakh. The suspect has been asked to produce documents related to the property. No arrests have been made so far, and further action will be taken based on the investigation.”
The woman claimed that the land originally belonged to her ancestors, who had leased it for the school decades ago, and that the lease period ended in 2024.
She said that despite approaching several offices, she received no assistance and was left with no option but to proceed with the demolition by engaging a contractor, said the officer.