Kozhikode (Keralam), Oct 17 A Vigilance Court here on Saturday sentenced a former Special Village Officer to four years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 60,000 for falsely recording wetland as agricultural land to help a property owner obtain a building permit.
Kozhikode Vigilance Court Judge Shibu Thomas found Saji A (55), a native of Kundara in Kollam district, guilty of issuing a possession certificate in 2012 by falsely classifying wetland within the limits of Olavanna village in Kozhikode district as agricultural land.
The prosecution's case is that Saji assisted the property owners in obtaining a building permit from the Olavanna panchayat to construct a building on the wetland.
Saji, who was the Special Village Officer at Olavanna at the time, is currently working as a Senior Clerk in the Land Records (L.R.) section at the Kollam Collectorate.
The second and third accused, who were the property owners, died earlier.
Public Prosecutor Arun Nath appeared for the Vigilance.
The investigation was conducted by former Deputy Superintendents of Police of the Kozhikode Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).
