"Error In Names": Kerala On Seizing Assets Not Linked To Banned Group PFI

Kerala government has informed the Kerala High Court that mistakes had crept in due to some similarity in the name, address, and survey number of the properties identified in connection with the recovery from Popular Front of India (PFI), resulting in erroneous attachment of some properties of persons who were not associated with the organisation.

This was informed in an affidavit submitted by the State Government.

The High Court on September 30 last year ordered PFI to deposit Rs 5.20 crore within two weeks towards damages caused to Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in the violence that erupted during the illegal "flash hartal" conducted by PFI on September 23.

In its affidavit, the state Government said, "In compliance to the order (High Court's), the details of the properties identified by the IG, Registration was forwarded to the Land Revenue Commissioner for initiating attachment procedure. Since all these procedures were initiated in a limited time period, some mistakes crept in due to some similarity in the name, address, survey number etc. of the properties identified. Hence this resulted in erroneous attachment of some properties of persons who were not associated with the organisation. When it came to the notice of the Government that some mistakes had occurred in the attachment, the direction was given to the Land Revenue Commissioner, and the State Police Chief to stop further proceedings in respect of these properties which were erroneously identified."

"In compliance to the directions in the order dated 18.01.2023, requisitioned in respect of the properties of 209 persons related to the PFI was forwarded to the District Collectors for effecting attachment. The Land Revenue Commissioner has informed that out of them, valuation reports in respect of 177 properties were prepared by the District Collectors concerned. In view of the disputes raised regarding the attachment proceedings, the valuation of the remaining properties could not be completed," the affidavit further reads.

The Court earlier directed the government to submit the report on or before January 23 after completing the proceedings. Earlier also, the State Government tendered an unconditional apology before the High Court for not complying with its direction of recovery of damages from the banned PFI and its Secretary.

The government informed the Court that they will seize the items found by the registration department before January 15 at that time.

Court also ordered at that time to make PFI State Secretary Abdul Sathar an accused in all the cases registered in the state in connection with the illegal hartal. If Rs 5.20 crore is not deposited within two weeks, the state government can initiate recovery proceedings, the Court said earlier.

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