31-year-old IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman , who made the state proud by securing second rank in the civil services examination in 2013 is in news because of his takes on Kerala's land mafia.

In an anti-encroachment drive that began early on Thursday morning, a team led by Devikulam tahsildar had reportedly reached the spot in Pappathichola a little after 7.30 am, after traveling for more than three hours. Following this, they initiated the process of bringing down the 25-feet tall cross.

Thursday's drive was a continuation of the anti-encroachment drive being carried out in Munnar under the instruction of Devikulam Sub-Collector Sriram Venkitaraman.

According to television reports, the cross was erected by a Thrissur-based group Spirit in Jesus. This was the revenue department's third attempt at razing the massive cross, allegedly built on encroached land. At both the earlier instances, the officials were prevented by agitators.

Kerala Minister MM Mani asks S Collector Sri Ram who removed encroacher's Cross at #Munnar " Aren't you an RSS man ?" 

While local leaders of Communist Party of India (Marxist), which leads the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), tried to physically block him and his team from clearing the encroachments and hurled abuses at him, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan restrained him from going ahead with the mission.

The young IAS officer said that he had anticipated obstacles when he launched the eviction drive. “It is an organised activity going on unhindered in Idukki district for a long time. People encroach on the land and legalise it by managing survey number and other documents. It is not easy to evict them,” he said.