KOCHI: Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court on Tuesday ordered a preliminary inquiry against 16 persons including P T Thomas, MLA, and Mayor Soumini Jain over illegal reclamation of Kochapilly canal violating CRZ norms. The complaint filed by KT Cheshire, Kadavanthra, also included the names of Kochi Corporation secretary, its officials, division councillor, contractor Jo Mathew, and president and secretary of the Girinagar Cooperative House Construction Society, as the respondents.
The Court, considering the petition, ordered Ernakulam Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) DySP Asok Kumar to conduct a preliminary inquiry and file a report before February 3, 2020. Mayor Soumini Jain and P T Thomas MLA were listed as ninth and tenth respondents in the complaint.
According to the petitioner, Kochapilly canal is located in a CRZ sensitive area. The Corporation granted permission to reclaim the canal to help the Girinagar Cooperative House Construction Society in constructing a road to the 22-acre-plot it owns. When the title deed was given to the society, the government had clearly warned against the reclamation of any canal or water body in the area.