Government lawyers warned on encroachment cases

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before whom the PIL moved by DMK MLA AP Nandakumar, came up for hearing, directed the government pleader TN Rajagopalan, who accepted the notice to file a report as to why the state went unrepresented in the aforesaid suits and as to why the respective government pleaders in the above courts failed to do what is necessary in the matter. 

“The report shall give details pertaining to the government pleaders in-charge of the respective courts and the officers, who are responsible for giving instructions to the respective government pleaders and also other particulars pertaining to the case which led to the state being set ex-parte,” the bench said while also seeking the government to state the steps taken after it was set ex-parte in the report.

The petitioner had contended that when the encroachers in the Forest Land in the village were not removed in a manner known to law disturbing the lands related to private citizens, who have legally purchased the properties in the guise of land acquisition for construction of new bus stand was unfair.

The matter relates to the encroachments made by six persons in the above said Forest Department land in a large extent of land and developed the same into houses and commercial buildings in Vellore.