The Karnataka forest department has issued a land eviction notice to the wife of Jacob Thomas, Kerala’s chief of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The notice has been issued for allegedly holding land in a reserve forest in Karnataka.
Thomas is currently in the dock regarding misappropriation during his tenure as the Ports Director, and amidst allegations that he is deliberately targeting IAS officers and carrying out corruption probe against them.
According to the eviction order issued on October 27, Daisy Jacob owns 151.03 acres of reserve forestland at Pattighat range at Kopatti village near Bhagamandala in Kodagu district.
The Times of India reports that in his order, Madikeri assistant conservator of forest Ranganath, has given a month’s time to Daisy Jacob to prove her claim on the land, which she has been owning since 1991.
The incident came to light after a forest survey conducted by the forest department revealed that the 151 acres was part of the reserve forest since 1901. The survey was carried out as per the direction of the High Court in 2003.
The department is liable to take action against Daisy Jacob under Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, if she fails to prove her claim on the land within the stipulated time of one month.
The order was issued under Section 64A of the Karnataka Forests Act, 1963 (Penalty for unauthorized possession of reserved forest land).
The legal battle regarding the ownership of the land began in September 1999, with the issue being examined by the Karnataka High Court.
Daisy Jacob, however, maintained that she had purchased the land from Hanuman Tobacco Company and has all the necessary documents to prove her ownership, including sale deeds.
Meanwhile, in a property statement submitted to the home ministry, Thomas said that the land was purchased in the name of his wife in 1991 for a sum of Rs 15 lakh. The land now has value of Rs 18.12 crore, the officer said in the statement.
He has also revealed in the statement that the estate at Kopatti village in Madikeri fetched an annual revenue of Rs 35 lakh, reports TOI.