The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) raided the house of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation councillor Ajin S L on Sunday after registering a case over an alleged demand for Rs 10 lakh from a landowner in connection with a land dispute. Ajin, who represents the Thrikannapuram ward, has denied the allegations and said the complaint was retaliation for his action against alleged encroachment.
The case followed the circulation of visuals purportedly showing the councillor demanding money and an audio recording of a threatening phone conversation. The complainant, identified as Sanju, a contractor from Peyad, alleged that Ajin threatened to mobilise Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) workers to protest at his property and place a party flag there if he did not pay the money.
According to the complaint, Sanju purchased an 11-cent plot along Thrikannapuram MLA Road in April and later divided land in the Thrikannapuram ward into plots for resale. He alleged that Ajin approached him during the initial phase of construction and offered to facilitate the registration of adjoining puramboke land, referring to government-owned land, in exchange for Rs 10 lakh.
Sanju alleged that the councillor accused him of encroaching on government land after he refused to pay. He said the alleged threats continued and that he visited Ajin’s house while recording visuals. Sanju has denied encroaching on government land. The allegations have placed the local CPM under scrutiny because the accused councillor is also a member of the party’s Thirumala local committee.
Ajin has rejected the bribery allegation. He claimed that the complaint was filed in retaliation for his intervention against what he described as encroachment. He also alleged that construction at the site had begun without the required permission and said the corporation issued a stop memo after he filed a complaint.
The allegations centre on the overlap between private land development, claims involving government-owned land and the enforcement powers available through the municipal system. The VACB raid marks the latest formal action reported in the case, while the competing versions of the land dispute remain part of the investigation and have not been adjudicated.
The investigation will determine whether the alleged demand, threats and land-related claims are supported by the evidence collected by the vigilance agency. The corporation’s stop memo and the status of the alleged encroachment will also be relevant to the competing accounts presented by the complainant and the councillor.
