July 18, 2025

The Thiruvananthapuram City police are intensifying efforts to locate Ananthapuri Manikandan, a District Congress Committee (DCC) member accused in the Kowdiar land grab case. Manikandan is suspected of masterminding the fraudulent transfer of land and property owned by Dora Asariya Cripps, a US resident, in Jawahar Nagar. The scam involved forging documents to register the land under the name of Merin Jacob, who claimed to be Ms. Cripps's adopted daughter. The property was later sold for approximately ₹1.5 crore in January. Two individuals, Merin Jacob and Vasantha, were arrested by the Museum police for their involvement in the case. Vasantha's striking resemblance to Ms. Cripps played a crucial role in perpetrating the scam. Another individual, Chandrasenan, who allegedly purchased the property, is also implicated in the case. The investigation team is looking into the possible involvement of revenue officials as well. The fraud was exposed when the property's caretaker attempted to pay taxes only to discover that the property had been transferred without his knowledge. Manikandan, whose anticipatory bail plea was rejected, is currently absconding. A lookout notice has been issued for him, while Chandrasenan was granted anticipatory bail due to the lack of evidence of a cash transaction. The investigation team plans to scrutinize his bank records to verify his claims. The case continues to unfold as authorities work towards bringing all culprits to justice.

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Tags: Thiruvananthapuram city police, Ananthapuri manikandan, Land grab case, District congress committee member, Kowdiar, Fraudulent property transfer, Museum police, Dora asariya cripps, Merin jacob, Vasantha, Chandrasenan, Sub-registrar office, Revenue officials, Lookout notice,