Thomas Chandy challenges collector's reports in HC

KOCHI: Transport minister Thomas Chandy has filed a petition before the high court seeking to quash the district collector's reports in the Lake Palace Resort row.

The minister, who is allegedly a director in the company that owns the resort at

Alappuzha

, said in the petition that the two reports filed by the collector are tainted with abuse of discretionary power and resulted in colourable exercise of power.

In addition to the district collector, the minister has named the chief secretary , revenue secretary , executive engineer of minor irrigation division, and principal agriculture officer as opposite parties in the petition.

The

petition stated,

“ After he became the minister on 01.04.2017, some interested parties have started targeting him with irrelevant allegations laced with malicious political intentions. Unfortunately, the media and some of the officers of the district administration have also joined the fray and they are acting as tools in the hands of the interested lot mentioned above.“

This group has formed an agenda and targeted attacks were planned and executed on distorted set of facts that affected the life and liberty of him self and his family , the minister claimed.

Such action has resulted in violation of natural justice and drastic violation of fundamental rights, the minister's petition said while challenging the collector's report as arbitrary , unreasonable, biased, and malicious administrative action.

It is also alleged that the malicious propaganda by the media, originating from the irrelevant, arbitrary , and mala fide findings of the district col lector in the two reports, has affected his official duties and is thereby causing infringement to the public interest, the minister's petition stated.

Demands raised by the minister in the petition includes quashing of the collector's reports, a directive to keep further action on the basis of the reports in abeyance, a court declaration that he cannot be proceeded in his personal capacity, and a directive to the media not to

publish news

items on the matter.

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