The Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) staged a walkout in the Assembly on Monday accusing the government of shielding the Chief Minister’s former gunman Salim Raj and other officials involved in the land-grab cases at Kadakampally and Kalamassery. The former Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that it was a government- sponsored crime.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy hit back saying the previous LDF government had tried to write off the crime as a civil case. He said the alleged land scam at Kalamassery was the result of a bitter feud between two families. The Opposition members left the House in protest against the Speaker’s refusal to allow leave for notice for an adjournment motion.
Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash said two officials had been suspended and three charge-sheeted on the basis of the report filed by the Revenue Secretary.
Moving the notice for an adjournment motion on the issue, Mr. Balakrishnan said the government had remained mum despite the Revenue Secretary’s report confirming the fabrication of land records and a series of embarrassing observations made by the High Court in the scam case. He said the previous LDF government had investigated the land grab attempt which began in 2005. . Mr. Chandy said an investigation report filed by the Varkala police in 2011 during the LDF government’s term had dismissed the complaint as a civil case. “Neither the complaint nor the report mentioned Salim Raj as the accused,” he said.
