A delegation of the Ernakulam District Congress Committee inspecting the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor on 28 October. Photo credit: Special arrangement
The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) has filed a complaint with the District Superintendent of Police (Kochi City) over alleged trespassing at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor after a delegation led by District Congress Committee President Muhammed Shiyas entered the stadium, ignoring security objections, on Tuesday evening (October 28).
According to the complaint filed by the GCDA secretary based on information received from the stadium’s security personnel, “a group of individuals, including members of the media, forcibly entered the stadium around 6:00 pm without any permission from the GCDA”. The complaint further alleged that the group entered the property where the turf renovation work was being completed to facilitate an ongoing international football match. She said that entering the lawn could damage the already completed work, resulting in significant financial losses. The complaint demanded swift action against the encroachers to secure the stadium and its premises.
Mr Shiyas dismissed the complaint and asked why public representatives were denied access while the company’s private owner was allowed unrestricted entry. He pointed out that although the private sponsor of the now-cancelled international friendly match between Argentina and Australia had demanded an investment of ₹70 million to renovate the stadium, the actual work appears to have cost no more than ₹70,00,000.
Mr Shiyas also accused the GCDA of allotting the stadium for renovation without a formal agreement and concealing the IIT Madras report on the structural stability of the venue.
Published – 28 Oct 2025 20:06 IST
