The Crime Branch (CB) probing the illegal construction of apartment complexes in Maradu in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms conducted raids on the head office of Jain Housing and Construction Limited, one of the accused builders, in Chennai on Friday.
The offices of the builder in Kochi were already raided by the CB and important documents seized before expanding the net to Chennai where the company was based.
“At the moment, we are focussing on the builders rather than the local body officials who connived with them.
Once the builders are brought to book, we will turn our focus to the local body officials and even politicians who are at fault,” said a top CB official.
However, the team probing the case continues to be on the hunt for Jayaram Naik, who was the then UD clerk in the Maradu panchayat when the permit for the construction of apartment complexes was issued in violation of the CRZ norms.
His name figured as fourth accused in the remand report submitted by the CB before a Vigilance court at Muvattupuzha where three persons arrested in connection with the case were produced on Wednesday.
Absconding
“He has gone absconding and is neither turning up at his office nor at his home,” said an officer associated with the investigation.
Sani Francis, director, Holy Faith Builders and Developers Private Limited, one of the four builders in the dock, and Mohammed Ashraf and P.E. Joseph, who were the secretary and the junior superintendent respectively of the then Maradu panchayat when the permits were granted for the illegal constructions, were arrested by CB on Tuesday.
