Congress Leader Busted in Land Scam with Forgery, Impersonation

Thiruvananthapuram: In a development in the Kowdiar property fraud case, Congress leader and licensed deed-writer Ananthapuri Manikantan has been arrested by the Museum Police from Bengaluru. He had been absconding for several weeks after being identified as the chief conspirator in a meticulously planned land grab worth over Rs. 1.5 crore, involving forgery, impersonation, and fraudulent registration of property.

The disputed property is located in Jawaharnagar, Kowdiar, one of the posh neighbourhoods in Thiruvananthapuram. It is legally owned by Dora Azaria Cripps, an NRI Malayali currently residing in the United States. Initial reports indicate that Manikantan had approached Dora’s caretaker to negotiate a purchase. When this offer was declined, he allegedly resorted to criminal methods to take over the property. Using his knowledge as a professional deed-writer, he secured certified copies of the title deed, paid the property tax under Dora's name, and acquired an encumbrance certificate to fabricate a legal facade.

According to the investigation, Manikantan arranged for a 76-year-old woman named Vasantha to impersonate Dora during the registration process at the Sasthamangalam sub-registrar office. Alongside her, a 27-year-old woman named Merin Jacob posed as Dora’s “adopted daughter.” With the aid of forged Aadhaar cards and fabricated identity documents, the duo executed the transfer of ownership in Merin’s name. Shortly afterward, Merin “sold” the property to a 62-year-old man named Chandrasenan. However, police discovered that no money was ever exchanged in the transaction, casting serious doubt on its legitimacy.

Manikantan's younger brother, C.A. Mahesh, who is also a licensed deed-writer, played a key role by allowing his credentials to be used in the fraudulent transaction. The police have confirmed that Mahesh paid around Rs. 14 lakh in stamp duty and registration fees, thus ensuring the forged sale to go through without immediate suspicion. Mahesh was arrested last week and has reportedly confessed to facilitating the crime under his brother’s instructions.

The police have so far arrested five individuals in connection with the case: Vasantha and Merin Jacob for impersonation and fraud, Mahesh for aiding and abetting the crime using his professional license, Chandrasenan for being the false buyer, and now Ananthapuri Manikantan himself. Chandrasenan, although initially granted bail due to his age, has been unable to provide proof of payment and claims he was acting under the direction of his absconding son-in-law, Anil Thampi.

A lookout notice had been issued against Manikantan earlier this month, and his bail plea was rejected by the court, citing the risk of evidence tampering and flight. He was arrested from in Bengaluru by the Thiruvananthapuram Museum Police.

The investigation has now widened its scope, with the police examining the possible involvement of officials from the revenue department and the Sasthamangalam sub-registrar office. There is strong suspicion that some staff members may have either colluded with the accused or accepted bribes to overlook irregularities in documentation. During raids on Manikantan’s office, authorities recovered multiple forged documents and land records, indicating that this may not have been an isolated incident.

The arrested individuals are expected to be produced before the magistrate in Thiruvananthapuram later today. Police sources indicate that more arrests are likely, as evidence points toward the existence of a broader network behind the fraud. Investigators are currently verifying whether Manikantan had used similar tactics in previous property transactions and if more such cases remain undetected.

In the wake of these revelations, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has suspended Ananthapuri Manikantan from the party. The incident has caused major embarrassment to the state unit of the Congress.