Kochi army towers: HC issues two-week deadline for paying rent dues to sole occupant, warns collector of summons
Colonel Ciby George (Retd), a resident of Tower C, was a key whistleblower regarding the towers' structural failures.
Colonel Ciby George (Retd), a resident of Tower C, was a key whistleblower regarding the towers' structural failures.
Colonel Ciby George (Retd), a resident of Tower C, was a key whistleblower regarding the towers' structural failures.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has issued a stern directive to the Ernakulam district collector Priyanka G, to disburse ₹30,000 as relocation charges and three months' pending rent to a resident of the dilapidated Chander Kunj Army Towers at Silver Sand Island in Kochi's Vytilla within two weeks. The Division Bench, comprising Justice K Natarajan and Justice Johnson John, stipulated that the collector must appear in person before the court on February 19, 2026, if she fails to comply with this order.
The order was passed during the hearing of a contempt petition filed by Colonel Ciby George (Retd), a resident of Tower C. George, a key whistleblower regarding the towers' structural failures, had alleged “willful non-compliance” of a previous court judgement that mandated a six-month advance rent payment to facilitate his relocation. Since he has not received the full amount, George and his wife have been living in the crumbling apartment.
The court’s latest observations highlight a complex legal stalemate. The court reminded the collector that, as the head of the committee managing the escrow account, which was opened to collect the funds from the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) and distribute it to the residents, she is duty-bound to ensure the petitioner receives the stipulated funds.
While the government confirmed that three months' rent, totalling ₹1.05 lakh, had been deposited into George’s account, the relocation allowance and the remaining three months' rent remained unpaid, stalling his move.
In a parallel contempt case filed by the Residents' Welfare Association against George for refusing to vacate, he gave an undertaking to the court that he would vacate the premises within two weeks. Following his undertaking, the High Court directed George to file a formal affidavit within two days confirming his departure timeline.
The Chander Kunj towers, built by the AWHO in 2018, were condemned following studies by IIT Madras and IISc Bengaluru that confirmed severe structural defects. While 207 other residents have already relocated, George and wife are the sole occupants in the building. The court has posted both contempt matters for further consideration on February 19.