On the orders of the Nuwara Eliya District Court, the registrar and physical officers of the court, on September 5th, took possession of an official residence belonging to the Hatton Plantation Company, located in the Lidula Henfold estate. This property had been occupied by Minister of State for Education Arunachalam Aravinda Kumar without authorization and was formally handed over to the estate superintendent.
In 1987, while serving as chief clerk of the estate, Mr. Aravinda Kumar was allocated this residence as his official quarters. Following his departure from the estate, the residence was expected to be returned. However, the estate management discovered that the property had not been surrendered and was undergoing repairs, prompting legal action in the Nuwara Eliya District Court.
Mr. Aravinda Kumar appealed the court’s order to vacate the residence, leading to a protracted legal battle. The Supreme Court upheld the original decision, and Mr. Aravinda Kumar’s appeal to the Court of Appeal was subsequently granted, resulting in the court’s final directive to vacate.
Under strict security provided by the Lidula police, court officers, including the registrar, inventoried Mr. Aravinda Kumar’s personal belongings at the residence. A copy of this inventory was retained by the court, and the property, along with its contents, was handed over to the estate’s administrative authority.
The management of the Henfold estate commented that Mr. Aravinda Kumar had utilized his political influence to retain the official residence beyond the permissible period. The estate management has indicated that the now-vacant property will be allocated to another official within the estate for use as an official residence.
