No relief for horti society in Rs 1,000-cr land dispute

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a writ appeal filed by the Agri Horticultural Society challenging the order of a single judge cancelling the patta issued to the society for 115 grounds of land worth Rs 1,000 crore near Semmozhi Poonga, Cathedral Road, in the heart of the city.

Heading the first bench along with Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, Acting Chief Justice T Raja dismissed the appeal filed by V Krishnamurthi, secretary to the society.

The judges dismissed the appeal after Additional Advocate General J Ravindran and senior counsel P Wilson advanced the arguments saying the society is attempting to acquire the 115 grounds of government land without any proper title.

The court confirmed the order of the single judge saying the society had taken several lands since 1800 on the basis of the lease. It was in 1989 that the government initiated the process to reacquire the lands leased out to the society.

The single judge pointed out that when the society challenged the move to acquire 316 grounds of land from the society, the Supreme Court in 2019 allowed the State to take possession of those lands.

However, for other lands including the 115 grounds mentioned in this petition, the court directed the district collector to decide on the issue. In September 2011, the district collector ordered to issue patta for these lands worth Rs 1,000 crore to the society.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Land Administration initiated a suo motu review and set aside the 2011 order of the district collector to grant patta to the appellant for these lands in dispute.