Private construction in violation of Wetland Protection Act; court acquits accused including panchayat secretary

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The court has acquitted the accused in the case of violating the Wetland Protection Act and obtaining a permit for the construction of a service station for a private person. Ajitha, who was secretary of Kollam Kulakkada village panchayat, panchayat clerk Harrison and service station owner Sabu Thomas were acquitted. The action belongs to the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court.

Locals had organized and staged a huge agitation after the construction of the service station started. The locals had demolished this service station. Following this, the Vigilance Kollam unit under the leadership of DySP investigated the case and submitted the charge sheet.

The vigilance found that the accused had conspired and obtained permission to construct the service station by violating the Wetland Protection Act. A case was registered for trying to build a service station in defiance of the law.

The Vigilance Kollam Unit filed a charge sheet against the accused before the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court. The court acquitted all the accused in the discharge petition filed by Sabu Thomas, the third accused and the owner of the service station.

Prominent criminal lawyer Afsan Khan appeared for the accused. The court acquitted the accused after accepting the argument of the defence counsel that there was no evidence or witnesses in the charge sheet to support the conspiracy of the accused.