Kochi: The High Court on Monday ruled that Preetha Shaji and her family should undertake social service for violating the court order to hand over her house and property to the person who had won the same in an auction held as per the verdict of the Debt Recovery Tribunal(DRT). The district collector should decide the nature of the social work by Tuesday.
The violation of the court in public cannot be accepted, the court said. The struggle by Preetha Shaji and her family with the support of the Anti-Sarfaesi People's Movement against the order of the DRT had received nation-wide attention with many persons highlighting the incident as a lopsided practice of the banking system in the country.
The court later quashed the auction of the house and property of Preetha Shaji and said that she could take back her property by paying Rs 43 lakhs to the bank and Rs 1.89 lakhs to the person who had won the property during the auction.
Preetha Shaji had repaid the amount for the bank with the help from large sections of people and the process of getting back the house and the property of the beleaguered family awaits completion of legal formalities.
