Probe launched into land grab by Thachankary family

Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsControversial IPS officer Tomin Thachankary’s family is once again in trouble with the Revenue Department taking up the investigation of the alleged land encroachment by his family members in Idukki.The Home Department had sent a letter to the Revenue Department seeking a comprehensive probe into the allegations with regard to the Munnar Catering College, Fort Munnar Resort and Thachankary Estate owned by the Thachankary family.It was on the basis of this report that the Revenue Department gave instructions to the Idukki district administration and the Land Revenue Commissioner to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter.However, Revenue Principal Secretary K B Valsala Kumari, who is in Delhi, told Express that she had to go through the files to find out if any such directives were issued.Tomin Thachankary, when contacted, said that the issue was related only to the Thachankary family.“My name is not mentioned anywhere in the report. The name mentioned is that of my brother Tissan J Thachankary,” he said.The Home Secret Section in a report, a copy of which is with the Express, to the Revenue Department said that the Munnar Catering College, started in 2005, was situated on illegal land. It said that the Boys hostel was also on illegal land.There is an excess of 0.1919 hectares of land out of the 4.4799 hectares with Thachankary family with regard to the Munnar Catering College.The report said that the catering college had defaulted in paying building taxes It said that the panchayat had not been collecting taxes for the buildings as they were situated on illegal land.It noted that the government had lost `5 lakh as taxes per year. Another point that is mentioned in the report is that the Thachankary Foundation has no licence for the catering college. As per the rules, the Foundation should have obtained a licence from the Chinnakkanal panchayat. Moreover, they had not yet paid the professional tax of its employees. Thachankary has always been mired in controversies. He was reinstated only recently after suspension in the context of a probe by the National Investigation Agency against him.The allegation against him was that he had made contacts with fundamentalist outfits during his visits to foreign countries.first published:September 21, 2012, 09:55 ISTlast updated:September 21, 2012, 09:55 IST 
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