CHENNAI: A writ plea from Latha, wife of actor Rajinikanth, challenging an order dated June 23 last of the Chennai Corporation steeply hiking rent for a shop run by her in Alwarpet from Rs 3,702 to Rs 21,160, has been rejected by the Madras High Court. Justice S Vaidyanathan dismissed the petition on Monday.
According to Mohan Menon, authorised representative of Latha, he has been running Travel Exchange India Pvt Ltd as its managing director in shop No. 8 at CP Ramasamy Road, Alwarpet, owned by the Chennai Corporation for over 25 years.
The Corporation was not even maintaining the building and its occupants like himself were spending huge amounts for maintenance. All along, his company was paying a monthly rent of Rs 3,702. All of a sudden, the Corporation hiked it to Rs 21,160. No method of calculation has been given as to how the the Corporation has arrived at such an exorbitant figure.
Standing counsel for Chennai Corporation submitted that as per a government order, once in nine years, the Corporation has to re-fix the rent. Challenging this GO, petitions were filed in the Supreme Court, which dismissed them. Therefore, the Chennai Corporation was justified in re-fixing the rent. Accepting the submission, the judge dismissed the petition.