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HC reserves order on Madras Race Club
Justice Teeka Raman reserved orders on a plea filed by the Madras Race Club seeking to dispense a pre-suit notice to the government
The Madras high court on Tuesday reserved its orders on the Madras Race Club (MRC) case against the Tamil Nadu government.
Justice Teeka Raman reserved orders on a plea filed by the MRC seeking to dispense a pre-suit notice to the government. This comes after the state government did multiple volte faces in court over whether they have taken possession of MRC’s land.
On September 19, senior counsel P Wilson representing Tamil Nadu’s revenue secretary informed the Madras high court on Thursday that the government has already taken possession of the club’s massive land. On September 5, advocate general PS Raman (representing the Chennai collector) had stated that they are yet to take possession. Wilson told the court that the AG’s submission is incorrect. Justice RMT Teeka Raman directed the Tamil Nadu government to file its counter by September 23.
On September 23, additional advocate general J Ravindran assisting the AG, informed the court that the government stands by his statement that they have not taken possession. MRC wanted this recorded but when the court reconvened in the afternoon, senior counsel Duhsyanth Dave and Wilson arguing for the revenue secretary insisted that the government had taken possession of the land.
The case in court comes after Tamil Nadu’s decision to terminate MRC’s 99-year-old lease. In 1946, the British leased out a land parcel of 160 acres to MRC for horse racing and other activities for 99 years for an annual rent of ₹614.13 in Chennai’s Guindy which was then a suburb and now prime property in the city. The club paid the amount upfront to the land’s owner.
On September 6, the state passed a government order annulling the lease deed with immediate effect with an intention to take over the prime land in public interest such as providing open spaces, utilities, gardens and offices. The state also said that following their revised rules MRC owes them a rental arrears of ₹730-crore from 2017 up to now which has also been challenged by the club.
