UDF stalls Kerala assembly over NRI businessman's suicide

The opposition UDF Monday stalled proceedings in the Kerala assembly, demanding registration of a case against a local municipality chairperson for allegedly refusing to grant an NRI businessman the ownership certificate for an auditorium, leading to his suicide.

Besides registering the case against ruling CPI(M) leader and municipality chairperson P K Shyamala for abetting the suicide of the businessman, the Congress-led UDF members also urged the Left government to take necessary steps to grant the ownership certificate at the earliest.

The 49-year-old Nigeria-returned entrepreneur, Sajan Parayi, who had spent about Rs 16 crore for the auditorium, committed suicide by hanging himself at his home on June 18 after the CPI(M)-ruled Anthoor municipality refused to grant him the ownership certificate for his dream project, citing minor technicalities.

As Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan remained silent over both these demands, stating that a probe is on into the matter, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House and encircled Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan's podium raising slogans "he (Sajan) was killed".

Though the speaker tried to take up other business, he was