Kochi: The decision of the revenue department to return 118 acres of paddy field to controversial spiritual guru Santosh Madhavan, convicted for raping minor girls, has landed the state government in trouble with political leaders cutting across party affiliations demanding a rollback of the decision. The order to return the land to an entity allegedly belonging to Madhavan was issued by the revenue department on March 2, a day before the notification of the state elections.
The land spread over North Paravur and Puthenvelikkara villages in Ernakulam district and Mala in Thrissur district was taken back from the company owned by Madhavan during the previous LDF regime on the basis that it belonged to the category of surplus land identified for distribution to landless persons. The revenue department has decided to return the land comprising nearly 90 per cent of paddy fields for setting up IT parks-related industries.
Congress leaders T.N. Prathapan, V.D. Satheesan and CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan have asked the government to withdraw the order. The previous LDF government had denied permission for the project. Even, the present UDF government had twice denied it sanction.
Madhavan shot into fame as a fake spiritual person in the mid-2000 with a series of allegations of cheating, sexual assault and other offences. He had earlier sought permission for filling up the paddy land in the name of Adarsh Properties, but permission was not granted.
The same land was now given in the name of Krishi Property Private Ltd for setting up the IT-related industries. Madhavan is now serving an eight-year rigorous imprisonment in cases connected with sexual assault of three girls, who were inmates of an orphanage run by him.
