Kannur: MLA KM Shaji’s nomination paper for 2016 election too is a falsified account of wealth he actually has in store. While land costs in Kerala have been rising over years, property owned by Shaji and his wife has plunged down in prices in the document.
When Shaji first contested elections in 2011 at Thazhekott, land sprawling 1.53 at three locations in Wayanad, were made out to be Rs 28.92 lakhs in his nomination form. And, when he stood for elections the next time in 2016, the same properties were recorded as worth just Rs 8 lakh.
A 40.33-cent land, purchased in 2006, was the only property Shaji’s wife Asha owned back in 2011 and was valued at Rs 6 lakh at that time. However, five years on, in 2016, the same property was shown as worth just Rs 70,000.
In 2011, a house on 10.3 cent plot at Manal Ottathaing in Kannur’s Chirakkal was purchased on the MLA’s wife’s name. The land market priced at least Rs 30 lakh was shown as 10 lakh in election affidavit and the 2,331 sq ft house worth another Rs 30 lakh was recorded as merely 7 lakhs in the document.
Apart from all this, Shaji also purchased another 37.7 cents in Kozhikode’s Vengeyr on his wife’s name and built a palatial house on site. He declared the property as worth Rs 30 lakhs in his 2016 affidavit meaning, the land was recorded as costing less than Rs 1 lakh per cent and house building costs less than Rs 10 lakhs.
Assets Exceed Income: ED Raids KM Shaji's Residence:
Probing wealth that outran the MLA’s income, Enforcement Directorate(ED) launched a search of KM Shaji’s residence at his Kannur residence in Chirakkal Manal. The sleuths measured area of the house with help from the Panchayat engineer there. The raid took place on Friday during day hours.
The house was found to be of size 2331 sq ft in area. The land measuring 10.3 was shown as purchased for Rs 10 lakh on 2012 document.
