The Supreme Court has directed Thuraiyur Municipality to remove the seal from an IDBI Bank branch in Trichy and let it function until December 31, 2024. The branch, serving 20,000 customers, was earlier sealed over alleged unauthorised construction.
New Delhi: On August 13, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Thuraiyur Municipality in Trichy district, Tamil Nadu, to remove the seal placed on an IDBI Bank branch and allow it to continue operations.
The case arose after the municipality sealed the premises on August 9, 2024, following an August 6 order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that had instructed it to lock and seal the property within 48 hours.
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The bank branch, which has been operating in a rented building since 2014, was targeted by the civic body over allegations of unauthorised construction by the building owner.
When the matter was heard on Wednesday by a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati appeared for IDBI Bank.
She told the court that the branch had been functioning for over a decade and served a large customer base. She emphasised that,
“the branch has around 20,000 customers with strong room and locker facilities.”
She further requested that the Supreme Court give the bank adequate time to shift to a new location and to suspend the High Court’s order in the meantime.
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Taking her submissions into account, the Supreme Court granted the bank time until December 31, 2024, to hand over possession of the premises. The bench ordered,
“In the meantime, the direction by the high court to seal the premises shall be kept in abeyance and the municipality, which has already put its seal on August 9, shall remove the seal and open the locks and allow the bank to continue functioning in its normal course.”
With this direction, the court disposed of the bank’s appeal.
The dispute began when the municipality issued a final notice to seal the building, claiming that the owner had carried out unauthorised construction and had failed to restore the property as per the approved building plan.
The Madras High Court observed that multiple opportunities had been given to the owner to rectify the violations. It recorded that the owner had responded in September last year, but his explanation was not found satisfactory.
Following this, the competent authorities issued another notice — this time to the occupants or tenants of the building, which included the IDBI branch.
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The High Court eventually dismissed the bank’s plea and directed the municipality to seal the property within 48 hours, while also giving the bank the option to approach the municipality commissioner to collect any belongings left inside.
The Supreme Court’s ruling now gives the branch a few more months to operate at the current location before relocating, ensuring uninterrupted service to thousands of account holders and locker customers in the region.
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