In a new twist of events, the Vigilance Court in Kottayam has ordered a quick probe against Transport Minister Thomas Chandy in the land encroachment case.
Vigilance Court Judge P Dileep issued the order on a complaint filed by advocate Subhash.
The court rejected the government’s stand to seek legal advice in the case.
The minister allegedly filled up a paddy field to build a private road illegally, up to his Lake Palace resort in Alappuzha.
Following the court order, the pressure on the minister to quit is again mounting.
Senior Congress leader VM Sudheeran demanded that the minister step down and said that the minister doesn’t have the right to continue even for a moment.
It is reported that the fund to build the road was sanctioned from that of people’s representatives.
Meanwhile, a protest march taken out by Yuvamorcha workers to the Secretariat pressing for the resignation of the minister turned violent after the police used water cannons to disperse them. Some workers were reportedly injured.
The minister representing the Nationalist Congress Party in the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet has been facing the heat over land encroachment since August after Asianet News exposed it.
In October, Alappuzha district collector TV Anupama had also submitted a report to the government reportedly saying that portions of Marathandam Lake were levelled for the construction of the luxury resort.
The Collector’s report also found violations in filling up a paddy field for constructing a parking ground for the resort. The report said that construction of the road to the resort and its parking ground was carried out violating the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land Wetland Act.
Representing Kuttanad constituency in the Assembly, Thomas Chandy is the richest legislator in Kerala.
The government is however yet to break its silence on the issue, which has seen heated discussions.
The minister remains unfazed and had even challenged in a speech recently, that no one can raise their small finger against him.