Probe grabbing of 915 acres

CHENNAI: G Ramakrishnan, State secretary of the CPM, has moved the High Court for a direction to the State Home Secretary and the DGP to hold a probe into land grabbing incidents in Deivacheyalpuram village in Thoothukudi and to restore 915 acres to the villagers.A division bench comprising Justices K N Basha and N Paul Vasanthakumar, before which the PIL came up for hearing, admitted it and ordered notice to the authorities concerned returnable in eight weeks, on Thursday.According to the petitioner, over 200 families in the village had been in possession of the agricultural land for several decades. They had documents to prove that their families had possession and enjoyment of the said land since 1884. Despite this, one Medai Dalavoi K Thirumalayappa Mudaliar executed sale deeds for the land belonging to the villagers in favour of seven persons. Following protests and representations from K Kanakaraj, Thoothukudi secretary of the CPM, the Revenue Divisional Officer, after inquiry, filed a report in June 2009 to the Collector that pattas should not be granted in favour of the seven persons. One Selvam of Pudukottai village, an advocate supporting Mudaliar, attacked Kanakaraj, his wife and the villagers. No action was taken on the complaints of Kanakaraj and the villagers. On the contrary, the police acted on the counter-complaints from Selvam and others. Hence the present petition seeking an order for a thorough investigation into the complaints and to book the culprits, the petitioner stated.