KOZHIKODE: Three days after a farmer, Kavilpurayidathil Joy, committed suicide in Chakkittappara grama panchayat after revenue officials refused to let him pay his tax, details are emerging that the incident may have been the outcome of a discrepancy in the land records maintained by the village revenue officials.
Joy (57) hanged himself in front of the Chembanoda village office in Kozhikode district Wednesday night after a dispute with revenue officials over the taxed owed by his family.
On Saturday, additional chief secretary (revenue) P H Kurian confirmed that village revenue officials indeed erred in maintaining land records. “There are certain discrepancies in the land records and the staff have erred. We will be submitting a detailed report to the state government after a thorough probe. There will be strict action against the officers,” Kurian said.
This confirms a finding by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (V&ACB) Friday that the village office staff manipulated land records.
Kozhikode collector U V Jose had suspended Chembanoda village officer C A Sunny and village assistant Sileesh Thomas following an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the suicide of Joy.