Disgruntled investor in Kerala seeks CM's permission to end life

Even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, currently on a Europe visit, is pitching for investments by projecting Kerala as an ideal destination, back home, a distraught investor has written to him seeking permission to end life along with his extended family.

Anas Aziz, while working in the Middle East, was keen to invest in his home state and along with his friends, he decided to build a resort in the pristine hills of Munnar in Idukki district.

In 2016, Aziz and his team purchased 78 cents of land near Munnar and started construction work and availed a loan of Rs 1.25 crore, but in 2018 things came to a grounding halt when the Pallivasal local body halted the work saying that a "no objection certificate" was not obtained.

This happened when more than 70 per cent of the work was completed.

A shocked Aziz and others approached the Kerala High Court and the local body informed the court that it has done no wrong and the directions of the revenue department has to be followed.

Aziz and his friends are now in a state of flux as they say they do not know why the work was asked to be stopped when they had obtained all the clearances.

He then wrote to Vijayan explaining his troubles and was in for a shock when the office sent his complaint to the same village council.

Now with the bank from whom the loan was availed is after him, he wrote to Vijayan stating that he and his extended family, including parents and others, should be allowed to commit suicide, a day before their attached property is auctioned for non payment of the loan instalment.

This has happened when four state Ministers, top officials along with Vijayan are on a Europe trip and the main agenda is seeking investments in Kerala.

Recently, similar cases of red tapism have been reported when business investors after investing their life savings and availing loans, get a rude jolt when either government officials especially local bodies play truant or the labour unions raise a banter.