Harrisons land: Govt's takeover struck down by HC

Kochi: Kerala Government suffered a setback in the High Court in the Harrison Malayalam estate land case. The court quashed the government order taking over the land from Harrison Malayalam Ltd.

The High Court observed that the government should not behave like Robinhood, and reminded that like individuals companies too have their right.

The government contention was that the company resold the land that was leased. The company countered this with the contention that the landing question could not be treated as leased land, and asked a plot held in its possession and for which the company was paying taxes regularly, could be leased land. The court which accepted Harrison's position set aside the government action.

With the court order, the government action taken based on the basis of the Rajamanikyam report, on the 38,000 acres of land possessed by Harrison and other big companies, gets nullified. The report had cited other foreign companies which had to cede the land in their possession following independence. The take over based on this report was earlier ratified by a single bench of the High Court. Harrisons filed an appeal against this verdict which was considered by the division bench led by the Chief Justice and the latest order issued.

However, government's Law Secretary had submitted a report saying that the said land could not be confiscated, and that the plot held by Harrisons could not be treated as leased land. And the government could not prove that it was leased land.