TIRUCHY: Tension prevailed for a while after residents of Athirampattinam,staged a protest opposing the municipal administration’s attempt to retrieve the land encroached by a school on Thursday.

Sources said that the Radio Park located near Maktoum mosque in Athirampattinam had been lying abandoned for several years. So, the Athirampattinam Educational Trust formed by residents, appealed to the then Athirampattinam town panchayat to give that piece of land on lease for running a school for Muslim girls.

Since the land belonged to the town panchayat, the administration had given the land on a long-term lease. Later, the school administration had purchased an adjacent land and constructed building for the school and also continued to hold the leased land.

Subsequently, the town panchayat directed to return the land, but the school administration reportedly refused.

Following this, the panchayat administration approached the court and got a favourable verdict.

Despite the court order, the school administration refused to return the land and approached the court.

Meanwhile, the Town panchayat was upgraded into municipality and the civic body initiated efforts to retrieve the land from the school administration.

On Thursday, the civic officials, led by municipal commissioner Chithra Sukanya, along with the police went to the site, removed the school board and attempted to take possession of the land.

Opposing the civic body’s move, residents argued with the officials and asked them to stop the process citing the court case. Subsequently, the officials left the spot.