Real estate deals to come under scanner
Real estate transactions in Kochi over the last few years will soon come under the police scanner with the City Task Force (CTF), mandated to check operation of organised criminal gangs in the city, approaching the Revenue Department seeking details of major land deals and land reclamation cases. “We have opened a line of communication with the Revenue authorities and have begun verifying details of the major land transactions, land reclamation and the stop memos issued during the period. These activities have gradually evolved into the nature of an organised crime with many former goons turning their focus to the real estate sector,” explained Arul R.B. Krishna, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kochi City. In many a case, the mere presence of notorious goons is helping the real estate groups to clinch deals, and the gangsters are being paid a certain percentage of the money involved in the deal as their commission. Preventive detention Meanwhile, the CTF has made a preventive detention of 16 goons, besides issuing summons to 25 others. The police have so far identified about 80 persons having criminal antecedents. “The preventive detentions were made under Section 151 Cr.PC as a warning to the history sheeters. We will book them under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) upon being caught for a criminal offence next time,” the DCP added.
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