The Madras High Court helped the Tamil Nadu government take back 1.5 acres of important land in Chennai, which had been in private hands since 1861. With its intervention, the court made sure the land went back to government ownership.
Chennai: The Madras High Court helps the Tamil Nadu Government to reclaim 1.54 acres of valuable land in Chennai, which had been under private control since 1861. The piece of land, located in the Pallavaram cantonment area, has now been successfully transferred to the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), marking the end of a protracted legal battle.
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The decision came from Justices S.S. Sundar and N. Senthilkumar, who managed to secure an agreement from the current landholders to vacate the premises, ensuring its handover to CMRL. The court’s intervention facilitated the smooth transition of the property, emphasizing the need for the proprietors of Gupta Swabs Limited to dismantle and remove their equipment and structures under the supervision of CMRL officials.
The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) was instructed to temporarily restore electricity to the site, strictly for the purpose of facilitating the removal of machinery and materials. The land dates back to approximately 140 years ago, when the East India Company leased it to Louisa Gore for 50 years, a tenure that concluded in 1911.
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The land passed through different owners until it belonged to M.M. Gupta’s family in 1995. They wanted ownership, but even though they paid taxes, the Government reclaimed it. The court said tax payment doesn’t mean ownership and confirmed the state’s ownership. They also said not all land controlled by the Cantonment Board belongs to the Center.
The bench further stated
the occupants, being merely leaseholders, had no grounds to contest the government’s claim to the property, citing the principle of estoppel against them until the land was officially handed over to the government.”
The bench further stated
