Thevara eviction: Residents move HC against bid to label them as ‘encroachers’

Kochi: Certain residents living along the banks of Konthuruthy River at Thevara in Kochi have approached high court with a petition challenging their eviction from the land, alleging that they have been labelled as encroachers.A bench of Justice P V Kunhikrishnan, noticing that a contempt petition alleging non-compliance with the court's directive to evict encroachments along the Konthuruthy River is pending before another bench, directed that the present petition be posted along with the same. Theresya Joseph of Konthuruthy and 16 other residents filed the petition challenging the procedure adopted by the local authorities to evict them, alleging that they have been wrongly treated as illegal encroachers.Earlier, a division bench had, in Dec 2025, passed an order in a PIL directing Kochi corporation to remove all encroachments on the river puramboke of the Konthuruthy River, with police assistance, within four months. Although Kochi corporation later approached HC seeking an additional year to complete the eviction process, the request was declined and the corporation was directed to adhere to the stipulated time frame.The residents have now approached HC contending that they are being forcibly evicted from their homes as a result of a PIL filed by a party that, according to them, has no direct knowledge of their situation or legitimate interest in the ‘thodu' or its surroundings. The petitioners claim that they have been residing on the land since 1968.They further state that each of them holds a valid GCDA-issued registration card, along with possession certificates issued by the tahsildar, Kanayannur taluk, and identification cards issued by Kochi municipal corporation for their respective homes. The petitioners also contend that their homes were built through their own hard labour and earnings, with some having availed bank loans. They argue that, for over five decades, they were never treated or identified as encroachers, nor were they given any indication that they could be rendered homeless.In their petition, the residents seek a comprehensive survey of the entire puramboke land in Konthuruthy, after affording them a reasonable opportunity to be heard and to participate in the survey process. They have also sought a direction to the govt and corporation to place before HC the specific rehabilitation plan proposed for them.