MADURAI: The Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) directed the District Crime Branch-cum-anti-Land Grabbing Special Cell not to arrest former Union Minister M K Alagiri in a land encroachment case.
Justice K Kalyanasundaram, who admitted Alagiri’s anticipatory bail petition, restrained the police from arresting him and adjourned the matter to September 3 for further hearing.
In his petition, the former Union Minister submitted that the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department filed a complaint before the Special Cell stating that M K Alagiri Educational Trust had encroached 44 cents of land belonging to a Vinayakar Temple at Sivarakkottai village.
The said land was originally owned by two brothers Ramasami Pandaram and Veluchami Pandaram and after the dispute between the two brothers, the matter was taken to court and it was decreed as the absolute property of Veluchamy.
Further, the land was given by Veluchamy to one Aathilakshmi for giving him 1 acre and 3 cents of land in an exchange. Subsequently, Aathilakshmi sold the 44 cents she obtained to the Trust’s vendor Sampath.
While so, the HR and CE without any notice to the petitioner’s Trust, fenced the plot stating that the land belongs to Vinayakar temple. In this backdrop, the HR and CE also lodged a complaint accusing the petitioner in land grabbing case and a case was registered under various Sections of the IPC.
Apprehending arrest, Alagiri moved the court with an anticipatory bail plea.