The Forest Department had come up with damning details of misappropriation of forest land by owners of not only Shernelly and Miraflores estates but also others in Nelliampathy, who also had availed of loan on securities pledged with forest land.Based on the report, the state police had registered six criminal cases at Padagiri police station against the estate owners.
The district police chief, Palakkad, in a letter to Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Eastern Circle, on April 12, 2012, a copy of which is with Express said that six criminal cases had been registered against Miraflores, Shernelly, Karappara, Brookland, Smitha Mount and Lakshmi Estates.
In the case of Smitha Mount, the CCF had written to district police chief, Palakkad, that 62.
78 acres of forest land was put up for auction by Debt Recovery Tribunal, Ernakulam, for recovery of loan payable to Jackson Traders to South Indian Bank.
“This 62.78 acres is a portion of the estate known as Smitha Mount Estate, which is a forest land absolutely owned by the state.
