Pressure mounted on the Achuthanandan government on Wednesday to remove P W D Minister T U Kuruvila from his post following the messy land deal in which he and his family members have been involved.
Kuwait-based businessman K G Abraham came out against the minister publicly on Wednesday  alleging that he had been cheated by the minister.
Abraham said he had given an advance of Rs 6.75 crore to the minister’s two children towards sale of 50 acres of their land in Rajamalai in Idukki district. This was on the direction of the minister who had promised to get him land.
He claimed he did not know that the land had been notified as a cardamom hill reserve on lease from the government which cannot be sold. Kuruvila represents Kerala Congress (J) which had been mired in scandals for sometime. An “inflight sex scandal” had resulted in the exit of party supremo P J Joseph not long ago.
“The agreement was struck with his children, but it was executed only on the assurance given by the minister. How can I expect the minister to cheat a prospective investor like me by selling me land which does not have a title deed,’’ Abraham said.