Kerala government mulls moving Supreme Court in Harrison case

KOCHI: The state government is planning to file special leaver petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict quashing the government order on taking over four estates of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd. The HC verdict said that the government has no right to take over the land of the plantation company. Harrisons Malayalam Ltd has already filed a caveat in the Supreme Court seeking that the company should also be heard in any petition connected with its estates in Kerala.

The government has submitted the nearly 200-page order of the HC verdict to the advocate general for his expert opinion before taking the final decision in filing the appeal in SC after examining the HC verdict in detail.  The government has sought the opinion of the AG even as the HC verdict has created a political controversy in the state with a section of opposition parties and activist groups alleging that the government had connived with the plantation company leading to the adverse judgment.

The government has taken over the estates based on a report submitted by M.G. Rajamanickam, the special officer appointed to examine the matter. The company had argued that the recommendations of the special officer were legally untenable and any action based on such recommendations should be rejected. The HC in its verdict upheld the arguments by the company and said that the government cannot behave like Robin Hood.