Kerala moves Supreme Court on Kerala High Court's evacuate Munnar order

KOCHI: The state government has approached the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court judgment ordering the restoration of land seized from illegal encroachers and payment of compensation to them. In an appeal filed before the apex court the state government sought a quashing of the High Court verdict that
the eviction of encroachers during the previous LDF regime was illegal and awarding compensation to victims of eviction.

In the appeal, the government stated that the action against the illegal encroachers was taken according to the provisions of Forest Protection Act and other Acts. The High Court had rejected a revision petition filed by the state government against an earlier verdict of the court in December last year.

The appeal has been filed following the HC rejecting the revision petition.
A division bench of the Kerala HC headed by the then Chief Justice Manjula Chelur and Justice A.M. Shaffique had ruled in 2014 June that the action taken by the LDF government headed by V.S. Achuthanandan against resorts in Munnar in 2007 was illegal and directed the government to pay compensation to the owners of Cloud Nine, Munnar Woods and another resort.

The anti-encroachment drive launched by the Achuthanandan government in Munnar gained wide attention as special team reported large scale violation of rules and regulations in the hill resort.

The anti-encroachment drive at Munnar resulted in reclaiming the land and demolition of buildings erected in lands encroached land. The Munnar Woods, a resort situated in 2.84 acres of land, was demolished. Cloud Nine, another resort in 3.5 acres of land also came under the demolition squad.