Corporation of Chennai reply sought on inaction of lock and seal notice

The Division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice V Parthiban on issuing notice to Special Government Pleader Vijayakumar appearing on behalf of the Government and PV Selvakumar, council for Corporation of Chennai, directed them to file their reply within four weeks. 

The matter relates to a petition filed by 14 people including one M Sundaramurthy of Karapakkam Village Panchayat seeking to act against an ex-councillor by name N Sundaram for unauthorised and unlawful acquisition and occupation of Panchayat lands. 

The petitioners submitted that the said Sundaram was the councillor for the 197th ward of Chennai Corporation from 2011 till October 25, 2016. During that period, the councillor had created a trust called “Sri Gangai Amman Charitable Trust” and registered it on November 20, 2014. Through this, the councillor and the family members amassed wealth to the tune of a few crores by giving illegal permission for construction of hundreds of flats in the area and acquiring properties illegally.

Along with this, a huge commercial complex was constructed on survey no169 in Karapakkam village. The Village revenue register clearly shows the above land is a poromboke land and shown in the village map as Gangai Amman Kovil, which is name of the trust formed by the councillor. 

Pointing out that the complex was built without any proper sanction and approval from the concerned authorities, the plea claimed that the Corporation of Chennai, which is meant to protect public property has allowed converting the above one as private property.

A show cause notice was also served on the councillor on January 30, 2017 asking him why the building be not locked and sealed but despite that the no action has come forth, the plea submitted and sought the court to intervene.