Vigilance registers case against four officials over alleged land acquisition irregularities at KINFRA park in Kannur
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has registered a case over alleged irregularities in the acquisition of land for the KINFRA industrial park at Mattanur in Kannur district.
The case was registered by the Kannur unit of the VACB on Saturday. It relates to the work of the special tahsildar's office at Mattanur, which handled land acquisition in Pattannur, Kezhallur and Kolari villages.
According to the VACB, large amounts of compensation were allegedly sanctioned for land held by private individuals without valid legal documents, and the money was later deposited in court. It is further alleged that officials accepted land tax from private individuals for land that had already been acquired by the government and issued possession certificates to them.
The bureau suspects that these actions enabled ineligible private individuals to claim rights over the land and caused substantial financial loss to the government.
Those named in the case are Sherly V.E., who was special tahsildar; Shaji K., special Revenue inspector; Pradeep Kumar P., valuation assistant; and Zakhir P.P., Pattannur village officer.
The registration of a case is the beginning of a formal investigation. None of those named has been convicted, and the allegations against them are yet to be established through the legal process. Under Indian law, every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case follows a complaint filed with the Kannur Vigilance unit in November 2025 by Manoj Moorkoth of Chalad, Kannur. A surprise inspection and a preliminary inquiry, carried out after an order of the Kerala High Court, reportedly found substance in the allegations.
The case was registered by Kannur Vigilance Deputy Superintendent of Police Babu Peringeth, acting on the directions of VACB Director Manoj Abraham. Inspector Bavish B.S. of the Kannur Vigilance unit is the investigating officer. P. Balakrishnan Nair, Superintendent of Police, Vigilance (North Range), Kozhikode, will supervise the investigation.
Land acquisition for public projects is a process in which the government takes over private land for a stated purpose and pays compensation to the owners. It relies on clear ownership records, tax receipts and possession certificates. When documents are missing or disputed, the matter is usually settled through the courts. Vigilance inquiries in such cases typically examine whether compensation was paid to people who were not legally entitled to it, and whether official records were issued correctly.
KINFRA, the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, is a State government agency that develops industrial parks and related infrastructure. The park at Mattanur is one of its projects in Kannur district.
The Vigilance stated that action against corruption and irregularities in government offices would be intensified as part of the State government's 'Operation Zero' project. Members of the public have been urged to report information relating to corruption through the Vigilance toll-free number 1064.
