Kochi: A section of the residents of the Chander Kunj Army Towers (CKAT) at Silversand Island, Vyttila, a residential complex in severe distress due to alleged corruption and poor construction quality, has moved the Kerala High Court seeking a probe by a central agency to uncover those responsible for their plight.
Major Prince Jose (retd), a retired army officer and a Kargil war veteran with 75 per cent disability, and Honorary Captain Erinjeri Joseph (retd), both of whom own units in the residential towers, have moved the High Court flagging the delay in police investigation into the complaints filed earlier. The petition comes amid uncertainty over the fate of the B and C towers of the complex.
Multiple expert studies, the latest by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have recommended demolishing the two structures. At the same time, the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO), which built the apartments, is ready to retrofit the structures based on a detailed plan prepared by Bureau Veritas, a private firm. The IISc report, prepared based on a high court order, has doubts about the retrofitting plan.
“It is clear that the entire case is the result of gross malpractices and corruption with no end in sight to the investigation because of the power and influence of the respondents. The military personnel invested their lifetime savings in these apartments, hoping to have a peaceful retired life, but all their
dreams have been shattered by the unscrupulous greed of the culprits. It is an accepted principle that justice delayed is justice denied. Completing the investigation in a time-bound manner and bringing the culprits to justice is the right of the victims and the duty of the State,” the petition states, requesting the court to order a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any competent central agency into the complaints.
The Maradu police registered two different FIRs on the issue in June 2022 and June 2023. The petition in the high court states that there has not been any progress in the investigation. It also says the police have not filed FIRs in two complaints filed earlier this year.
Towers B and C showed signs of poor construction quality soon after they were handed over to the owners in 2018. The two towers have 104 flats each.
Colonel Ciby George (retd), one of the residents of the crumbling towers who has been leading a legal battle against the alleged corruption behind the project, is one of the lawyers representing the petitioners. He has also filed a petition before the high court seeking immediate evacuation of the buildings.
In his petition, the retired army officer states that the inhabitants who have financial capacity have already shifted to safe accommodation, while others, including him, were compelled to continue to live in the unsafe apartments. The petition requests the court to issue an urgent directive to the AWHO to evacuate the unsafe building by arranging similar alternative accommodations for the residents as already ordered by the district collector.
