Attappady land grab row returns as tribal farmer files complaint
Farmer says land mafia took his 10-acre plot at half the price and his land has been resold multiple times. Incident not isolated, as per local people
The controversy over alleged land grabbing in Attappady has resurfaced as a tribal farmer has lodged a complaint with the Pudur police. Farmer Balan of Paloor hamlet claims he lost a 10-acre plot his family had tilled for generations. In exchange for ₹50 lakh, he reportedly agreed to sell the land but alleges he received only ₹24 lakh in installments.
Recently, unknown individuals reportedly fenced his land, claiming to have purchased it from someone in Tamil Nadu. Balan, a former Communist Party of India (CPI) worker, contests that his land was resold numerous times and he had paid land tax until 2023. Agali panchayat president Shibu Cyriac, who is also mentioned in the complaint, denies the allegations, stating he only served as a witness after the revenue and registration departments confirmed the documents.
The Congress party gained control of the panchayat in recent elections, previously held by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Cyriac believes the current accusations are an effort to conceal past irregularities by the CPI(M). Local residents have reported similar land deals being conducted for smaller sums and have demanded a thorough investigation, submitting complaints to the Chief Minister, Home Minister, and Leader of the Opposition.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
