Formula 4 street race in Chennai | Madras High Court directs government to produce all permissions obtained for its conduct

Madras HC directs TN govt to submit permissions for Formula 4 street race around Island Grounds in Chennai. AG says race is safe, noise levels low & all necessary permissions obtained. HC asks AG to file typed set of papers & serve copy on PIL petitioner.

The Madras High Court on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, directed the Tamil Nadu government, to submit by Thursday, permissions granted by various authorities such as the police and fire and rescue services department for the conduct of the Formula 4 street race around the Island Grounds in the heart of Chennai city, scheduled to be held on December 9 and 10.

Justices R. Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq asked Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram to file a typed set of papers containing all the permissions granted for the event and serve a copy of it on advocate Narmadha Sampath representing a public interest litigation petitioner who had opposed the street race.

Shri Harish, a 25-year-old doctor from Tondiarpet, had filed the PIL petition against the conduct of the street race on roads that house the Army and Navy establishments besides being very close to the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital at the Omandurar Government Estate. His advocate, Ms. Sampath pointed out that the Department of Youth Welfare and Sports Development had decided to conduct the Formula 4 race in association with Racing Promotions Private Limited. Racers from India and abroad were scheduled to participate in a series of races to be held in Greater Noida, Hyderabad and Chennai.

While the petitioner’s counsel had no objection to the race to be held at the Madras International Circuit at Irungattukottai between December 1 and 3, she objected only to the 3.7 km long street race circuit around the Island Grounds covering Flag Staff Road, Kamarajar Salai, Sivanandam Road and Anna Salai.

She said, the establishments of the armed forces could not be blocked for the racing event and argued that the race also should not be allowed to be conducted near a major government hospital. Further, stating that arrangements had been made for public viewing too, she doubted whether adequate safety arrangements had been made.

Defending the State, Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram, said, the Formula 4 street race had been happening successfully in Hyderabad for the last few years and an effort to popularise such a sport among the youngsters in Chennai could not be scuttled by way of a litigation.

He said, the road infrastructure on the street race circuit had been improved since Racing Promotions Private Limited had invested ₹200 crore for the event apart from ₹42 crore spent by the State government, which would eventually reduce its share to ₹15 crore during the next two years.