Encroachment-Case against Senior Congress leader’s son

Forest Department registers case against Aryadan Shoukath
Courtesy:www.newindpress.com

KOZHIKODE: Congress leader Aryadan Muhammad’s son and film maker Aryadan Shoukath has turned a villain in the Forest Department’s ‘script’ on land encroachment.

The department, on Sunday, registered a case against his family members including his wife under the Kerala Forest Act for encroaching 12.5 cents of vested forest land on the Vennaikode valley of Nilambur. Case was registered against Shoukath’s wife Mumthaz K.Beegum, wife’s brother Babu K.Nayeem, brother Riyaz’s wife Simi Jalal and Ganapathyplackal Laly Mathew, the former land owner.

Though the 19 acre land in the area was known to be possessed by Shoukath, the records revealed that the land was registered in the name of his close family members. The Forest officials led by DFO (Flying Squad) V.K.Sreevalsan had begun the survey in the area the other day.

The survey in the Vennaikode area being held as part of refixing the forest boundary was completed and computed on Sunday. “A case has been registered and the preliminary report would be submitted before the Forest Department’s special court at Manjeri on Monday,” said DFO (North) M.Sreedharan Nair, who had supervised the survey along with Edavanna range officer Nazeer Panolan. The department would continue the survey in other areas on a priority basis, he added.

The 19 acre-land in the name of Shoukath’s relatives has been a rubber estate, and trees have been recently cut down for replant. Shoukath is also the Nilambur panchayat president.