'Register case against Muncipality chairperson for suicide of NRI investor’

Kannur : The opposition UDF Sunday demanded that the LDF government register a case against the chairperson of a local muncipality for allegedly refusing to grant a businessman the ownership certificate for his new auditorium, leading to his suicide.

Leader of the opposition in the Kerala assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, who visited the family of the businessman at Anthoor in the district and offered them all support, also demanded that municipality chaiperson K P Shyamala be removed from the post.

"In this matter, a case must be registered against the municipal chairperson under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. The Left party and the government should remove the chairperson from the post," Chennithala told reporters.

Section 306 of IPC deals with the abetment of suicide.

The 49-year-old Nigeria-returned businessman Sajan Parayil, who had spent about Rs 16 crore for the auditorium, hanged himself at his home on June 18 after the Anthoor municipality refused to grant him the ownership certificate for his project.

Sajan's wife had given a statement to police that the permission for the building was delayed due to the 'high handedness" of the municipal chairperson.

The Kerala High Court on Friday took up a Public Interest Litigation on its own over the suicide of the businessman, which it described as "painful", and issued notice to the government, asking for an explanation by July 15.

The court also came down heavily on alleged red tape still prevailing in the system.

The high court registrar general's note said there were reasons to think the "adamant posture" of the municipality was the reason for the man to commit suicide after he invested a huge amount of Rs 16 crore for his own business.

There are also reasons to think the municipality had dragged the matter for reasons best known to them, it said.

The businessman's suicide had created a furore in the Kerala Assembly on June 19, with the UDF staging a walkout, dissatisfied with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's reply.

Vijayan had assured that strong action would be taken against those responsible for denying the permission.

The Kerala government had on Thursday suspended four officers of Anthoor municipality in Kannur in connection with the suicide.