MHC reserves orders in PILs challenging Night Street Race

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has reserved the final orders in a batch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed against the Formula 4 Night Street Car race, which was postponed indefinitely due to the Michaung cyclone.

The case was listed before a division bench comprising Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq.

Preetika Dwevedi, counsel for one of the litigants, submitted that it is a shocking revelation that the government is not going to get any revenue out of the race, disclosed by the memorandum of understating made between the State and private company, Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd. the counsel also contended that the car race is not a sport and it should be considered as entertainment as not everyone can afford to participate in the car race.

Senior counsel V Raghavachari appeared for a litigant stated that the State cannot act to benefit some private body using the public money. The State is planning to conduct the F4 race and investing Rs.42 crores without any revenue and the private body is going to make money is a violation of law.

Due to the Michaung cyclone, the State has postponed the race indefinitely, however, the roads converted into a racing circuit are blocked for public access and it causes heavy inconvenience to the general public. Griders and poles have been erected on the roads for racing event causing traffic blockages and resulting in huge distress to the public visiting Omandurar Multi Super Speciality Hospital.

Advocate General (AG) R Shunmugasundaram appeared for the State and submitted that conducting the F4 race is a policy decision taken by the government and it cannot be challenged before the Court. The State would generate revenue out of the car race by selling tickets to the fans.

After the submission, the bench reserved the final orders without mentioning any date.