NGO alleges land grab by minister’s kin; firm ‘owned by’ sons slaps legal notice

According to the notice, court orders and revenue documents have clearly established that the land belonged to the company and it was not government poramboke.
TN Dairy Minister R S Rajakannappan
TN Dairy Minister R S Rajakannappan(File photo | Twitter)
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CHENNAI: Anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam on Tuesday alleged Dairy Minister RS Rajakannappan’s family of grabbing close to five acres of government land in a prime location near Alandur metro station on GST Road, worth approximately `411 crore in the market. It sent a complaint to the DVAC demanding action against the minister.

However, the company associated with the minister’s family, which is holding the land, immediately sent a legal notice against Arappor, citing court judgments. According to the notice, court orders and revenue documents have clearly established that the land belonged to the company and it was not government poramboke.

Arappor alleged that Rajakannappan and his sons Prabu Kannappan, Diwakar Kannappan and Dilip Kumar Kannappan had grabbed the land in St Thomas Mount (Parangimalai) village on GST Road. The guideline value of the property is estimated to be around Rs 226 crore, it said. This was done through a firm Deccan’s Fun Island and Hotels Pvt Ltd in which the minister’s three sons hold 33 % stake each. The company does not do any revenue business, Arappor alleged.

The NGO said these survey numbers figured in a list given by the Alandur tahsildar with instructions that no registration should be done as they are government poramboke lands with expired lease and any registration done in the past should be cancelled. The registration of the land in the name of the company was first done in 1991-96 period when Rajakannappan was minister of electricity, public works department and highways in the then AIADMK government, the NGO alleged.

Despite the instruction from the Alandur registrar, another transaction related to this land in the name of the company was done in 2018, Arappor claimed.

However, the legal notice sent by the company cited at least two court judgments issued in 1992 and 2017 to counter the allegations of Arappor. Moreover, it argued that the order issued by the revenue department cannot have a retrospective effect on registrations done earlier.

Earlier, responding to the allegations, Rajakannappan in a post on ‘X’ said false allegations were being spread to defame him and his family by hiding judgements of district courts and high court. Rajakannappan said he will challenge those defaming him in the court.

Notice cites two court judgments

The legal notice sent by the company cited at least two court judgments issued in 1992 and 2017 to counter the allegations of Arappor. Moreover, it argued that the order issued by the revenue department cannot have a retrospective effect on registrations done earlier

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