Kerala: Evicted by landlord, mental hospital becomes this family's new home

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After his landlord threw him out for not paying rent on time and also destroyed his livelihood, 40-year-old Suresh Kumar lost his mental balance and was admitted to a mental hospital almost a month ago. Since then, his wife, 29, and two daughters aged 10 and 3, who have nowhere to go, have also sought refuge at the government hospital at Peroorkada along with him.
Suresh Kumar was a wholesale dealer of ornamental fish, and when his landlord evicted him three months ago, she had the costly fish tanks and precious fish, worth lakhs of rupees, too thrown away. "The reason the landlord gave when she threw me out was that I didn't pay rent ... that is not true. The police stood by silently when the landlord destroyed my fish tanks and the fish," Suresh Kumar told TOI from his hospital bed.
The incident drove him crazy. He approached the district collector with a complaint. He was directed to Kattakada tahsildar office and from there to Malayinkeezh village office. But his grievance was never addressed. It was in July last year that Suresh Kumar rented a house belonging to one Manju Santhosh at Malayinkeezhu. In October, he was evicted citing non-payment of rent.
His plight was brought out by officials of Legal Clinic under district legal service authority that functions in the mental hospital.
‘House used for commercial purpose’
They are now preparing for a legal battle to get Suresh Kumar properly compensated for the losses he has suffered. The house owner Manju Santhosh said that the reason why the family was evicted was because Suresh Kumar had used the house for commercial purposes. ‘’He installed all his fish tanks and related electrical equipment, causing power and water bills to surge. They never paid the bills either’’, she said.
Rural SP B Ashok said that other cases of rent defaulting existed Suresh Kumar at Malayinkeezhu police station. ‘’However, I am looking into the matter to see if our officials have committed any lapses’’, he said.