Kochi: CM intervenes as evicted elderly couple get their home back

The couple, said to be Tuberculosis patients, were admitted to a government hospital after being forcibly evicted from their home  The house has been auctioned as part of a loan recovery procedure CM Pinarayi Vijayan directed the Ernakulam district collector to initiate steps to ensure their stay in the house at Thrippunithura

An elderly couple was evicted "forcibly" from their house near Kochi on Thursday for failing to repay loan to a cooperative society but were brought back within hours after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's intervention. 

Condemning the eviction, video footage of which was purportedly telecast by TV channels, Pinarayi directed the Ernakulam district collector to initiate steps to ensure their stay in the house at Thrippunithura. 

The couple, said to be Tuberculosis patients, were admitted to a government hospital after being forcibly evicted from their home, which has been auctioned as part of the loan recovery procedure. After the CM's intervention, officials brought them back to their home. The state human rights commission also intervened in the matter. 

According to the neighbours of the couple, they had taken a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh from the cooperative society by pledging their property seven years ago. They, however, could not repay the loan amount due to their illness following which the firm initiated the recovery proceedings. 

The Chief Minister also directed the district collector to take steps to provide them food. The person who bought the auctioned house has agreed to let them stay in the house for the next three months, officials said.