MLA-led group breaks open tribunal office to hold classes

IDUKKI: In a dramatic turn of events, a team led by Devikulam MLA S Rajendran broke open the locks of Munnar tribunal court office and converted it as classrooms for Munnar Government College students.The incident occurred on Tuesday. Rajendran, Devikulam tehsildar P K Shaji, teachers and students reached the tribunal office and sought the keys of the rooms to start classes at the building.The group allegedly broke the locks of the rooms and removed the equipment to convert them to classrooms. It has been learned that an official of the Munnar tribunal captured the actions on a mobile phone. But the MLA-led team manhandled the official and deleted the visuals from the phone, said court officials. The government had wound up the Munnar tribunal on July 30, which was constituted for the adjudication on land disputes in Munnar area.Rajendran denied manhandling of the court official. “I had submitted a letter to the education department and home secretary, seeking permission to start classes in the first floor of the Munnar tribunal building. The classrooms were arranged as per the decision from the government. Some of the classes will start in the tribunal building on Wednesday,” he said. The Munnar Arts College building was destroyed in a landslide on August 14. The students had begun a protest on Monday, seeking alternative arrangements.