HC Sends Notice to Biju Ramesh

KOCHI: The High Court on Monday issued notice to Kerala State Bar and Restaurant Owners’ Association working president Biju Ramesh on an appeal filed the State challenging a Single Judge order preventing the District Disaster Management Authority from demolishing  a 5-storey building owned by him.

The notice was issued by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A M Shaffique. The State submitted that the petitioner had encroached upon government land and constructed multi-storey building over the Thekkinkara canal. 

The canal was constructed as early as in 1901 by the erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore, and was reconstructed in 1936. According to the State, all the 75 encroachers, except the petitioner, either voluntarily vacated or were evicted as per the disaster management plan issued under Section-31 of the Disaster Management Act.