By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala High Court Monday issued notices to two state ministers and a businessman over a controversial land deal involving the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
A high court bench headed by Justice V. Ramkumar sent notices to Forest Minister Binoy Viswom, Labour Minister P.K. Gurudasan and businessman Savy Mano Mathew, who sold the land in Ponmudi for ISRO’s proposed space institute.
The court sent notices on a petition of P. Rahim, chairperson of the Indian Lawyers Congress, whose earlier plea to the Vigilance Court was dismissed.
The controversy centres on India’s space agency purchasing 82 acres of forestland in Ponmudi, 75 km from here. According to the opposition Congress, the land belongs to the state’s forest department and was sold with Viswom’s connivance.
Reacting to the developments on Monday, businessman Mathew said he welcomed the action taken by the court: “I have no problem because I want the truth to come out, and if today’s action will help, I am really happy.”
The Achuthanandan government last month decided to give ISRO another piece of land and cancelled the deal between Mathew and the ISRO.