Latest news with #Manikantan
Time of India
06-08-2025
- Time of India
Kowdiar land grab case: Accused person's kin moves Kerala HC seeking pre-arrest bail
Kochi: Anil Thampi, a Thiruvananthapuram-based businessman, has approached high court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the alleged Kowdiar land grab case, involving property valued at approximately Rs 4.5 crore. The bench of Justice Kauser Edappagath sought instructions from the state on the plea and adjourned the matter to Aug 19. According to prosecution, first accused Ananthapuri Manikantan, a DCC member and land broker, allegedly grabbed 14 cents of land along with a 10-room, three-storeyed house located at Jawahar Nagar at Kowdiar, Thiruvananthapuram. The property belongs to Dora Asariya Crips, an Indian-origin doctor currently residing in the USA. It is alleged that forged documents were used and that a woman named Vasantha impersonated Crips to facilitate the fraudulent transaction. Subsequently, Manikantan is said to have sold the property to one Chandrasenan of Kanjirampara in Thiruvananthapuram, the fourth accused. Thampi allegedly transferred Rs 1.45 crore to Manikantan's account on behalf of Chandrasenan, who is his father-in-law, to facilitate the purchase. Manikantan was later arrested by the police from Bengaluru on July 29. In his petition, Thampi apprehended his arrest in connection with the case. While the police claim that Thampi conspired with the other accused to illegally acquire the property, he denies any involvement. He alleged that his business rivals and enemies are using the case as an opportunity to harass him. The petition also notes that Chandrasenan, the fourth accused, has already been granted pre-arrest bail by sessions court, Thiruvananthapuram.
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Time of India
Kowdiar land grab case: Manikantan got Rs 1 crore for forging documents
Thiruvananthapuram: Police team probing Kowdiar land grab case stated that businessman Anil Thampi was the mastermind behind the crime. He paid Rs 1 crore to three different accounts of another accused Ananthapuri Manikantan, who is a vendor and former Congress member to forge property documents. According to police, Thampi, who has political influence, wanted to buy the property from 2014 onwards. He had earlier approached its owner Dora Asariya Crips, who is settled in the US, expressing interest in the property. However, she denied selling it. Police said that Thampi paid Manikantan to get the property registered in his father-in-law Chandrasenan's name. He then told Chandrasenan that he had some income tax issues and the property had to be registered in the father-in-law's name. Thampi's plan was to sell it later for Rs 5 crore, but due to some financial dispute among the accused, the fraud was exposed. Manikantan collected the details of the property using his influence at the Sasthamangalam sub-registrar office. Using survey number, land tax was paid and using the tax receipt, a certified copy of the property and other documents were also collected. Manikantan's friend, Sunil Babu Thomas, 42, of Vettikuzhi at Kallayam, helped him find a woman who looked similar to Crips. Vasantha, 76, a relative of Thomas's wife, posed as Crips and Merin, 26, of Punalur posed as Crips's 'stepdaughter'. Vasantha and Merin were paid Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively for the fraud by Manikantan. He then transferred Rs 14 lakh to the account of Ananthapuri Associates, a document registration office run by him and his brother Mahesh C A, 47, to pay stamp duty and registration fees at the treasury, police said. Police will take Manikantan into custody soon.
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Time of India
Land scam: Key accused arrested
T'puram: A police team on Tuesday morning took into custody the key accused in the Kowdiar land grab case from a five-star hotel in Bengaluru's Majestic area. Ananthapuri Manikantan, 50, a vendor and former Congress district committee member, had been staying at the hotel for the past six days, police said. Manikantan, the alleged mastermind behind the crime, is being brought back to Thiruvananthapuram by car and is expected to arrive by midnight. The case involves the illegal transfer and sale of land owned by a US resident. Forged documents were used to seize the property, which was then sold for Rs 1.5 crore. Copies of the property's title deed were seized from Manikandan's office, who is accused of orchestrating the fraud with five others. So far, Merin Jacob, 27, of Punalur; Vasantha, 76, of Karakulam; Chandrasenan, 60, of Sasthamangalam and Mahesh C.A., 47, of Puthankotta have been arrested. Mahesh, Manikantan's brother, was arrested after police found that Rs 14 lakh towards registration fees and stamp duty for the land sale had been paid using his vendor licence. Chandrasenan's son-in-law, Anil Thampi, another accused in the case remains absconding. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Translation of all Languages Translation of all Languages | Search Ads Search Now Undo Vasantha posed as Dora Asariya Crips, the actual owner of the land, and transferred it to Merin, who acted as Dora's stepdaughter. The land was later 'sold' to Chandrasenan, who allegedly paid nothing for it. His role is under suspicion and he claimed he acted under the direction of Thampi. The method used to forge the land documents remains unclear. "By questioning Manikantan, we hope to uncover how the fraud was executed and identify any additional accomplices," said a police officer.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Time of India
Kowdiar land grab case: Accused approached owner to buy property before forging documents
Thiruvananthapuram: Museum police probing Kowdiar land grab case found that the key accused, Ananthapuri Manikantan, contacted the owner of the property several times, requesting to sell it. He also offered the owner an attractive price. The decision to forge documents to snatch the property was taken after owner, Dora Asariya Crips, who is settled in the US, was not willing to sell it. Manikantan even met the caretaker of the property with the same request, police said. Manikantan obtained the certified copy of the title deed of the property by filing an application in the registration department. He then paid property tax and a new tax receipt was also obtained. Using them, he applied for an encumbrance certificate and also forged an Aadhaar card of Dora. Manikantan also found a woman named Vasantha, 76, of Karakulam, who resemble Dora. As per his instructions Vasantha reached Sasthamangalam sub-registrar office posing as Dora and the land was registered in the name of Merin, 27, of Punalur, who the accused claimed to be Dora's stepdaughter, said police. Days later, Merin allegedly sold the property to Sasthamangalam native Chandrasenan, 62, for Rs 1.5 crore. However, Chandrasenan could not produce any proof of the money paid and was not willing to hand over the original title deed, police said. Chandrasenan claimed that he acted as per the direction of his son-in-law Anil Thampi, who is also absconding. Police so far arrested Merin, Vasantha and Mahesh C A, 47, of Puthankotta in the case. Mahesh is the brother of Manikantan. Police found that Mahesh paid Rs 14 lakh to the treasury using his vendor licence as registration fee and stamp duty. Police are investigating how Manikantan forged the documents and had he committed similar frauds before. They are also probing the involvement of others in the fraud
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Time of India
Police to issue lookout notice against accused in Kowdiar land grab case
Thiruvananthapuram: Museum Police probing Kowdiar land grab case will soon issue a lookout notice against vendor and Congress district committee member Ananthapuri Manikantan, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the crime. By forging documents, the accused registered a land owned by an NRI in the name of one of the accused in the case and it was later sold for Rs 1.5 crore without the knowledge of the original owner. Police seized copies of forged documents during a raid conducted at Manikantan's office in Killipalam. "Manikantan has approached the sessions court with an anticipatory bail plea. As soon as the court decides on it, we will issue a lookout notice. The accused is absconding now, and we will have to get him in custody to know how the fraud was committed and the involvement of other people in the fraud," said police. Meanwhile, DCC president Palode Ravi informed that the party would examine Manikantan's role in the fraud and appropriate action would be initiated. Police have already arrested Merin Jacob, 27, of Punalur and Vasantha, 76, of Maruthoor in the case. The actual owner of the land, Dora Asariya Crips, has been living in America for the past 10 years, and the registration was done in her absence. By forging documents, the accused registered the land in Merin's name, and later it was sold. The fraud came to light when the original owner tried to pay tax on the property, as it was found that ownership of the land was changed and someone else was paying tax.
