KOCHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the Kalamassery land grab case revealed that Geevarghese E C, an upper division clerk at the Ernakulam District Collectorate, accepted `3,000 as bribe in 2012, and incorporated false statement in a letter sent to the Land Revenue Commissioner.
However, the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the case did not contain information about the former special village officer, former village officer and retired additional tehsildar suggesting that they accepted illegal gratification, following which they became involved in the case.
As per the CBI charge-sheet, on July 28, 2011, first accused Abdul Majeed and second accused Abdul Salam filed a false complaint with the Land Revenue Commissioner, stating that the victim did not possess ‘pattayam’ for the 116-cent land.
Considering the civil and criminal cases pending in connection with the matter, the Land Revenue Commissioner then decided that further action on the complaint filed by the Revenue Department be kept in abeyance until disposal of the cases.
The accused filed another review petition on March 14, 2012, before the Revenue Minister, which was endorsed by the Minister to the Additional Chief Secretary. Later, it was forwarded to the Land Revenue Commissioner on April 9, 2012.
The office of the Land Revenue Commissioner made a note on the complaint that as various cases were pending before courts, action could not be taken.
“In May 2012, Abdul Majeed visited Geevarghese and asked him to put up the file for processing without delay. He then asked Geevarghese to suppress the Land Revenue Commissioner’s order to verify the documents of the village office, and gave him `500,” states the chargesheet.
“In July 2012, Majeed met Geevarghese again at the Collectorate and enquired about the report to be received from the Addl Tehsildar. When, Geevarghese showed the report, Abdul Majeed asked him to add a line in it, that ‘cases are not related to subject matter’, before sending it to the Land Revenue Commissioner. Geevarghese accepted `300 as bribe and prepared a draft letter reproducing the report sent by the Addl Tehsildar,” the chargesheet says.