Kerala - Kottayam   

Taluk surveyor arrested

Staff Reporter

Settlement Register and maps seized

KOTTAYAM: P. Surendran Achary, taluk surveyor at Devikulam, who was under suspension for the past one month for non-cooperation with the task force entrusted with the resurvey of Munnar and adjoining areas, was taken into police custody on Wednesday.

He along with two others were taken into custody from the quarters of Koshy P. Tharakan, surveyor on contract for the Kannan Devan Hill Produces Co. following a raid by Officer on Special Duty for the Special Task Force (STF) K. Sureshkumar and IG of Police Rishi Raj Singh on Wednesday.

The police said eight files consisting of 300 pages of documents, including Settlement Register and maps, which should not have been taken out of the taluk office, were confiscated from the three.

The other two taken into custody are Anil Kumar of Kottarakkara, a close associate of Mr. Achary, and autorickshaw driver Kumar of Muthu Cottage at Erachipalam near Munnar, who had taken the other two to the KDHP quarters near the Kannan Devan Hill Club. Mr Tharakan was not present at the quarters at the time.

The arrests took place following a tip-off to the STF.

Following the tip-off, Devikulam Tahsildar K.Ramdass was sent to the spot for inspection and this was followed by the raid by the STF along with police officers.

Meanwhile, the STF pulled down a building which housed the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC) in the heart of the town. The building belonged to one Andrews and it was found that it had come up on river puramboke.

Eviction notices were served on a few resorts in the Cardamom Hill Reserves area on Wednesday.

The facility for the public to air their grievances to the STF started functioning on Wednesday evening. Scores of people came to the Government Guesthouse to meet Mr. Suresh Kumar regarding the notices served on them.

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