PT Thomas seeks CBI probe into Joyce land grab'

Kochi: Mr P.T. Thomas MLA has demanded a CBI probe  into the land grab by Mr Joyce George, MP of Idukki.  A case should also be filed against him under the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Act for appropriating the land belonging to members of the tribal community, he told reporters here on Friday. Cases should be filed against the MP for impersonation, fabrication of revenue documents and cheating, he added.       

Mr Thomas also dared Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to cancel the title deeds of Mr Joyce George   if he was sincere in his statement that encroachers will be evicted. The Idukki MP had  encroached 32 acres of land and there was a case against him in the judicial first class magistrate court in Devikulam, he said. The case filed in March 1997 was  withdrawn in 2007 due to the pressure from the CPM leaders, he said.

Mr Joyce George,  Mr S. Rajendran and other leaders were  shedding crocodile tears over the landless in Munnar for concealing the organized land grab by them, he said. The landless people in Munnar,  including scheduled castes and scheduled tribes,  are being used as a “human shield” by these people to hide their nefarious activities, he alleged. On the competence of an agency like the CBI in probing a land grab case, Mr Thomas said the investigation agencies in the state will not be able to conduct a free and fair probe due to the political clout enjoyed by the persons.