‘Dilapidated condition’ of Army towers: apartment owner approaches HC seeking CBI probe

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has issued notice to the Central government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a petition seeking a CBI probe into the alleged corruption that led to the ‘dilapidated condition’ of towers ‘B’ and ‘C’ of the Chander Kunj Army towers on Silver Sand Island in Vyttila.

The notice was issued by a Bench of Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Harisankar V. Menon.

The petition demanding that the CBI register a first information report (FIR) under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, was filed by Ciby George, a retired Army officer and an occupant of an apartment.

He thus challenged a Single Judge’s order that had dismissed his prayer for a CBI probe. An apartment in the towers that were built by the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) in 2018 and handed over to him the same year developed major structural defects, cracks, and leakages. Subsequent structural audits done by experts found serious irregularities and malpractices in their construction, testing, and repairs. Although a court of enquiry in 2023 by the Army found persons responsible for the structural failure of the structures, the inquiry proceedings were not shared with the petitioner, Mr. George said in the petition.

Moreover, an expert report submitted by IIT Chennai also found deficiencies in their construction and repairs, following which the towers were termed unsafe for habitation. The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, too, found them unsafe and recommended evacuation and demolition. The financial loss alone is to the tune of around ₹250 crore. But the Single Judge miserably failed in the application of mind and disposed of the petition in a mechanical manner, the petition said.

It is the statutory duty of the authorities concerned to investigate and punish the individuals and agencies responsible for the present plight of the apartment towers, in a time-bound manner. With those who have destroyed the lifetime savings and peaceful life of the military personnel through malpractice and corruption roaming scot-free, a probe by the Central agency is needed, it said.