Kerala govt starts attaching properties of PFI leaders in connection with violent hartal

www.mangaloretoday.com

Kozikod, Jan 22, 2023: Kerala State Revenue Department on Friday started attaching properties of arrested leaders of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI), as part of the recovery proceedings in connection with the damage to public property in the violence during a hartal called for by the organisation in September last.

The recovery proceedings were initiated two days after the Kerala High Court expressed displeasure over the government’s delay in executing its order in connection with it.

Revenue Department sources said the properties of the arrested accused are being attached in various places.

The PFI leaders are accused in the case connected with the hartal against the nationwidede raids on PFI offices and arrests of its leaders following its ban.

The High Court, on January 18, directed the State government to complete the recovery and submit a districtwise report by January 23.

It had said there was also no need to issue notices prior to carrying out the recovery proceedings.

The court expressed displeasure over the delay as the government last month assured to complete the recovery by January 15.

The government, on November 7, 2022, told the court that a loss of Rs 86 lakh was incurred due to the damage to the property during the violence in the hartal.

The government submitted that a loss of Rs 16 lakh was suffered by private persons during the violence.

The State police have registered a total of 361 cases and arrested 2,674 people, it had said then.

Earlier, the High Court had asked the banned PFI and its ex-State general secretary Abdul Sathar to deposit Rs 5.2 crore with the Home Department towards damages estimated by the KSRTC and the State government in connection with the violence by saying they must be held accountable.

Sathar, when he was the State general secretary of the outfit, had called for the hartal against the nationwide raids and arrests of its leaders, and then allegedly absconded.

Hours after the PFI was banned, he issued a statement saying the outfit has been disbanded in the wake of the Home Ministry’s decision and subsequently, he was arrested.