Elderly couple evicted; return home after CM intervenes

Kochi: An elderly couple was Thursday evicted "forcibly" from their house here for failing to repay loan to a cooperative society but were brought back within hours after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's intervention.

Condemning the eviction, video footage of which was purportedly telecast by TV channels, Vijayan directed the Ernakulam district collector to initiate steps to ensure their stay in the house at Thrippunithura, an official release said.

The couple, said to be Tuberculosis patients, were admitted to a government hospital after being forcibly evicted from their home, which has been auctioned as part of the loan recovery procedure.

After Vijayan's intervention, officials brought them back to their home.

The state human rights commission also intervened in the matter.

According to the neighbours of the couple, they had taken a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh from the cooperative society by pledging their property seven years ago.

They, however, could not repay the loan amount due to their illness following which the firm initiated the recovery proceedings.

The Chief Minister also directed the district collector to take steps to provide them food.

The person who bought the auctioned house has agreed to let them stay in the house for the next three months, officials said