Vigilance Court convicts three ex-Corporation officials, builder in Thiruvananthapuram
A Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court has convicted three former city Corporation officials and a building owner in a case of illegal construction and loss of tax revenue.
A Vigilance Court in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday convicted three former employees of the city Corporation and a building owner in connection with the sanctioning of a construction that violated the Kerala Municipality Building Regulations.
The convicted former officials are J. Jayashankar, 63, a former Assistant Planning Officer in the Town Planning wing; V. Sasidharan Nair, 63, a former Building Inspector; and R. Sankaran, 67, a former upper division clerk. The building owner is G. Mohandas, 79, a resident of Kowdiar.
The three former officials were each sentenced to a total of four years of rigorous imprisonment under various sections and fined ₹1,00,000. Mohandas was also sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment under various sections, with a fine of ₹2,00,000 imposed on him. Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance) Manoj delivered the verdict.
The case relates to renovation work carried out on a building in Vanchiyoor village within the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation limits. According to the findings, Mohandas obtained a permit by influencing officials, and under the guise of that permit the existing structure was completely demolished and a new four-storey building was constructed illegally on the site.
A Vigilance investigation found that the building owner had made financial gains without paying the tax due to the Corporation as required by law, and that the Corporation had suffered a loss in tax revenue because of the actions of the officials involved.