MADIKERI: Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies K Joy has lodged a complaint with the Madikeri police against some persons spreading ‘fake news’ against her that she favours Malayalees. WhatsApp groups in Kodagu are abuzz with posts accusing the DC, who hails from Kerala, of allegedly handing over Jamma land to Malayalees. One of the posts read: “DC Annies, under the influence of immigrants from Kerala and PFI (Popular Front of India), has been silently waging a war against Jamma Kodavas and Kodagu Gowdas. The DC has been intentional and falsely identifying land belonging to Jamma Kodavas and Kodagu Gowdas to resettle Malayalees, who were forced to move out of their homes that were built on illegally occupied river margin”.
It is said that encroachers of Jamma land are behind the rumour as they were enraged by the DC’s action of evicting them. The eviction drive was carried out to construct houses for people who have lost houses in landslides and floods.
Meanwhile, police have questioned over 50 people after the complaint, including WhatsApp admins, over such posts on social media. Madikeri Circle Inspector Anoop Madappa said the investigation is ongoing. So far, the district administration has evicted people from 10 acres of encroached land at Nellihudikeri. However, the encroachers have managed to bring in a stay from the High Court over the eviction.
The administration has identified encroached lands in different survey numbers at Nellihudikeri and was in the process of doing the same in many other places. Sources said there was a lot of pressure on the administration from the political representatives to stop the eviction drive.
What is Jamma Land?
Jamma Lands were gifted to native residents of Kodagu - the majority Kodavas - by the kings who ruled Kodagu and by the British as a token of thanks for the services rendered by them. Jamma landowners have a special privilege to own guns without licences as they are exempted from the Arms Act.