Thalassery: A furniture shop which remained closed for 35 days due to punitive action by the Thalassery Municipality was reopened after the CPM district leadership intervened.
The entrepreneur couple Raj Kabir and Sridivya were reported missing a few days ago after the shop located at the Kandikkal Industrial Estate was not allowed to reopen by the civic body despite a court order.
The Municipality had earlier served a notice to the business couple claiming they had encroached on public property at Thalassery town. The Municipality had also demanded over Rs 4 lakh as fine for the encroachment. As they failed to pay the penalty, the Municipality served them an eviction notice.
Both had fled after writing a letter stating they were harassed by civic authorities.
The CPM district leadership and Industries Minister P Rajeeve, however, did not back the municipality's action. Only after the CPM district leadership gave an assurance that there would not be any more problems from the part of the municipality, Raj Kabir and Sridivya agreed to receive the keys of the unit.
The revenue and the health department officials handed over the keys of the Fancy Fern furniture to Sridivya, the licensee, on Saturday.
The district leadership had intervened after the step taken by the party-ruled municipality snowballed into a controversy.
Disheartened by the municipality's action, Raj Kabir and Sridivya had left the state. The police then traced them to Coimbatore and brought them back the other day.
