MHC grants last chance to State to submit status report of illegal hoardings

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has granted the last chance to the State Government to submit the status report of action taken against the officials in respect of the illegal erection of political banners, flex boards, arches, and flag poles on public roads.

The first division bench comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy heard a petition seeking to take legal action against the illegal erection of banners, flex boards, arches, and flag poles on public roads and pedestrian pavements.

The government advocate sought additional time to submit the status report regarding the actions taken to prevent the erection of flex boards, banners, and flag poles on public roads and pavements.

After the submission the bench granted additional time to submit the status report as a last chance, if the status report is not submitted on the next hearing, a Rs.20,000 cost will be imposed on the State, the bench observed. It may be noted that during the last hearing the State sought adjournment to submit the status report.

A petitioner E R Mohanraj moved the MHC against the illegal erection of DMK flagpole at Villupuram during an event in 2021, which led to the electrocution of a 13-year-old boy E Dinesh. The petitioner also sought to grant adequate compensation to the deceased victim's family. The counsel for the petitioner claimed that the boy was electrocuted while erecting the flag poles during an event in which Minister K Ponmudy participated in Villupuram.

Likewise, the bench also adjourned the batch of cases filed by activist Traffic K R Ramaswamy (deceased) against the erring officials who have given permission to erect banners and hoardings on public roads, as none appeared for the petitioner.