CHENNAI: The Chief Justice of the Madras High Court (MHC) has adjourned a petition seeking to direct the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to conduct an investigation into the alleged illegalities and irregularities done by the chairman of the Auroville Foundation.
When the case was listed before the first division bench of the MHC comprising Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice P D Audikesavalu, the counsel for the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (Union government), sought time to take instruction into the matter. Accepting the request the bench posted the matter to September 21, 2023.
The petitioner Vikram Ramakrishnan from R A Puram, Chennai filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the MHC.
The current chairman of the Auroville Foundation, Karan Singh, has thus far served over 4 consecutive terms there is no legal embargo on him holding terms consecutively, his long presence has carved a causeway for corruption, misadministration, and maladministration beyond imagination, read the petition.
The foreigners who claim to be part of the Auroville community have repeatedly flouted immigration laws and most of them have flouted visa conditions or overstayed in India, said the petitioner. Cultivation and use of Marijuana are rampant in the premises, the drug abuse is coupled with pedophile and young innocent children of the soil are the victims of such abuse, predominantly by foreigners, stated the petition.
The petitioner claimed that on the basis of his complaint, the governing board of the Auroville Foundation constituted a five members committee to inquire into the complaint in 2019.
Even after eight months since the report has surfaced, no action has been taken to investigate the wrongdoings at Auroville Foundation. The management of the foundation has been sleeping over the report, while the illegalities continue to happen every day, said the petitioner.
Therefore the petitioner sought to direct the ED to conduct an investigation against the Chairman of the Auroville Foundation based on the committee's report. However, the MHC posted the matter to September 21, 2023, for further hearing.