CPM releases documents claiming Kuzhalnadan's Chinnakanal property is a resort

Kochi: CPM Ernakulam district secretary C N Mohanan on Thursday released documents that supposedly prove that Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan allegedly evaded tax by undervaluing a property at Chinnakanal in Idukki.

The CPM leader said the Muvattupuzha MLA was running a resort at a property where such commercial establishments are prohibited by law.

"His claim that the property is a guest house is false. There is proof that the building on his land is indeed a resort when the permit only allowed them to build a house," Mohanan told reporters.

Mohanan asked whether Kuzhalnadan has permission for foreign investment. "He has not been able to tackle the questions with facts. Kuzhalnadan's earnings are 30 times his disclosed income," Mohanan said.

Responding to Kuzhalnadan's claim that he along with his partners bought the property at Chinnakanal, Mohanan said the others were his benamis.

"The other two individuals named in the title deed have not invested in the property. Their names were only included in the affidavit before the property was transferred onto Kuzhalnadan's name," said Mohanan.

He alleged that the resort was still accepting bookings from customers.

As per the Land Assignment Act, a resort cannot be constructed on land vested under it. Patta land, where an individual land owner gets a title deed from the government, can be used only for the construction of residences or agricultural purposes.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Kuzhalnadan said he has not violated the Act: "The building was constructed as a guest house and not a resort. Therefore, it was legally safe. That was why we had gone after this land."

He claimed he was the victim of a political witch[hunt.

The CPM filed a case against the Congress legislator with the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The revenue department will inspect the MLA's land on Friday.

Title deed vs election affidavit

A major CPM charge against Kuzhalnadan was he had suppressed the value of the land he had purchased at Chinnakanal in Munnar and that there was a glaring mismatch in the value of the land given in the title deed and his election affidavit.

It was pointed out that the value of 55 cents of land was shown as Rs 1.92 crore in revenue records. However, in the election affidavit he filed the very next day, according to the left party, the value of the same land was shown as Rs 3.50 crore.

Kuzhalnadan said CPM's allegation was based on just one title deed. He said he had purchased nearly an acre of land but with three title deeds. The CPM, it seems, he said, was aware of just one title deed pertaining to the 55 cents.