Congress legislator Mathew Kuzhalnadan appeared before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) officials at Muttom in Idukki on Saturday for questioning related to alleged financial irregularities in his land deals at Chinnakkanal, near Munnar, in Idukki.
After the interrogation, Mr. Kuzhalnadan said that the VACB officials told him about excess land and buildings on his property. “After purchasing the property, I never surveyed the property. The officials also said that the property is situated in surplus land (micha bhoomi) category. I am unaware of such issues,” he said.
According to sources, the VACB, in its initial observation, has claimed that huge irregularities took place during the resort land deal by Mr. Kuzhalnadan. The legislator holds an excess of 50 cents worth of government-owned (Porampoke) land at Chinnakkanal. During the registration period, a 1,000-square-feet building was also kept hidden, and the protection wall of the land was constructed on the government-owned land.
“The VACB officials indicated that they received a complaint about my assets. They asked how I achieved huge assets in the past five years. I will appear again before the officials again, if required,” Mr. Kuzhalnadan said.
Further, the VACB will recommend reclaiming Mr. Kuzhalnadan’s excess land in Chinnakkanal, sources said. The VACB also found that the resort, including land, is included in the ‘micha bhoomi’ category. There was a surplus land dispute over the property in 2008. However, the VACB did not receive any evidence relating to intervention by Mr. Kuzhalnadan for the purchase of micha bhoomi.
According to sources, the registration process of the micha bhoomi category including land was completed with the support of revenue officials.
