Formula 4 night street race in Chennai | Madras High Court asks T.N. govt. to obtain written permission from Army, Navy

TN govt produces permissions for Formula 4 night street race on 3.7-km circuit around Island Grounds in Chennai. Madras HC asks AG & counsel to submit written permissions from Army, Navy & Chennai Port Trust. Army has no objection & will file affidavit. PIL petitioners have no objection to race at Madras International Circuit.

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday produced before the Madras High Court the permissions obtained from the police and the civic authorities for conducting Formula 4 night street race on a 3.7-km circuit under preparation around the Island Grounds in Chennai.

Justices R. Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq asked Advocate-General R. Shunmugasundaram and senior counsel P.R. Raman, representing Racing Promotions Private Limited, to submit by Friday the written permissions from the Army, the Navy and the Chennai Port Trust.

The orders were passed after advocate Narmadha Sampath, representing two public interest litigation petitioners who had opposed the conduct of the street race, said it was essential to obtain permission from the Army and the Navy since their establishments were located close to the circuit.

During the course of arguments, Mr. Raman pointed out that the Army had no objection to the conduct of the race and it was evident from the minutes of the meetings in which they had participated. Counsel representing the Army said he would file an affidavit to that effect.

However, the judges said it would be enough if the Army expressed its consent in writing to the State government instead of filing an affidavit in court. They also decided to pass orders on the two PIL petitions after submission of the copies of the written permission on Friday.

Shri Harish, a 25-year-old doctor from Tondiarpet in Chennai, and J. Louis Raj, a 31-year-old advocate, had filed the PIL petitions against the conduct of the car race on city roads. They, however, had no objection to one of the rounds of the race being conducted at Madras International Circuit at Irungattukottai.