Kerala High Court fines three Thiruvananthapuram revenue officials ₹30,000 for refusing land tax despite a Lokayukta order

10 October 2026

A Division Bench of Justice A. K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Preetha A. K. imposed a total penalty of ₹30,000 on three revenue officials.
They are the Thiruvananthapuram Revenue Divisional Officer, the Tahsildar (Land Records) and the Vanchiyoor Village Officer; each must bear ₹10,000.
The government is to pay the landowner first and recover the amount from the officials.
Retired Additional Secretary A. Maideen Pillai owned 4.151 cents in Vanchiyoor village and paid land tax until 2018; after a resurvey cut the recorded area to 3.53 cents, officials refused tax for the full extent.
The Lokayukta had issued an interim order directing the officials to provisionally accept tax for the full 4.151 cents; the officials challenged that order in the High Court, which dismissed their plea.
The court also asked the government to consider disciplinary action against the officials.