Agri-Horticultural Society initiates another round of litigation claiming title over ₹523 crore worth property on Cathedral Road

The Agri-Horticultural Society, established in 1835 and registered in 1892, has initiated one more round of litigation before the Madras High Court claiming title over four cawnies (each cawny measuring 1.322 acres approximately), 18 grounds and 1,683 square feet of land next to Semmozhi Poonga on Cathedral Road in Chennai.

The Agri-Horticultural Society, established in 1835 and registered in 1892, has initiated one more round of litigation before the Madras High Court claiming title over four cawnies (each cawny measuring 1.322 acres approximately), 18 grounds and 1,683 square feet of land next to Semmozhi Poonga on Cathedral Road in Chennai.

Justice S.M. Subramaniam is slated to hear on Wednesday the latest writ petition filed by the society. This time, it has challenged Land Administration Commissioner’s June 5, 2023 order setting aside Chennai Collector’s 2011 order for grant of ‘patta’ to the society with respect to the lands in question by recognising them as private property.

In an affidavit filed through senior counsel G. Rajagopalan, the society has accused the Commissioner of having set aside the Collector’s order due to political motives and claimed that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party had been creating troubles to the society ever since it came to power in the State in 1989.

Stating that the Collector had passed a well reasoned order after taking into consideration several British era records to prove that the society had purchased lands on its own apart from taking certain adjacent tracts of land on lease from the government, the society accused the Commissioner of having set aside the order without proper consideration of facts.

Further contending that the Commissioner ought to have approached the civil court to establish government’s title over the property instead of having invoked suo motu revision powers under the Revenue Standing Orders, the society complained of the government authorities having taken possession of the land immediately after the passing of the June 5 order.

“If the State feels it necessary to recover possession, it could be done only in accordance with law. The State cannot act like a thug by entering into a property, without notice, and forcing everyone outside. After entering the property, the respondent authorities have already started altering the character of the property,” it alleged.

Referring to the Commissioner’s meeting with the Chief Minister after passing the June 5 order and the news regarding the meet having been published widely in the media, the society said: “It is clear that the entire exercise was a farce and a political project being executed, throwing aside all canons of justice and fairness.”