CHENNAI: The first bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed against the act of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and a private educational institution owned by minister EV Velu’s son EV Kumaran to install a statue of former chief minister M Karunanidhi in Vengikkal, Tiruvannamalai.

While hearing the bench along with Justice N Mala, Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari rejected the plea filed by G Karthick, a resident of Velachery. The petitioner prayed for a direction to stop the motion of the respondents alleging that the private educational trust and the DMK party are trying to install a statue in a public place.

The petitioner further said that the private institution has bought 92 square feet of land from a local man named Rajendran. “The educational trust had purchased the land from a private party and also annexed a nearby public land. They have even obtained patta for the land and are trying to install the statue. The concerned place is a connecting point for two-state highways and the Girivalam path of Tiruvannamalai, ” Karthik said in his plea.

When the matter was taken up for hearing, the CJ held that the petitioner should have challenged the issuance of patta to the public land and not the act of land owners.

Chief Justice MN Bhandari further noted that he would dismiss the petition as it is not maintainable. Therefore, the petitioner submitted that he is withdrawing the petition. The court granted liberty to the petitioner to withdraw his plea and dismissed the same.

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