Semmancherry police station on lakebed: Madras HC seeks report

The first bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice PD Audikesavalu issued the direction while hearing the plea by Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption organisation. Alleging that the police station was constructed inside Thamaraikkeni lake in Semmenchery near Sholinganallur, the petitioner sought a direction to the State government to remove the building.

When the matter was taken up for hearing, the government advocate submitted that the site in question was classified as grama natham (village land) in 1906, and asked more time to file a counter affidavit explaining the nature of the land.

Recording the submissions, the bench directed the State government to file a detailed report, along with original maps of the particular land, and posted the matter to the first week of February for next hearing.

Earlier, the High Court had directed the government to assess the land with an expert committee from the IIT-Madras. The committee had reported that the police station was erected on the lake. Following this, the court had directed the government to remove the police station and other encroachments from the lake.

The judges also wondered how the report by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and government’s revenue records differed in classifying the land. While the CMDA report stated that particular land was a waterbody, the revenue records claimed it has been classified as a meikal poramboke (grazing land) in 1987.