CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court has ordered maintenance of status quo with regard to taking possession of the properties in the Chettinad Palace in RA Puram by either parties. Originally, Chettinad group scion M A M R Muthiah moved the Madras High Court seeking permission to ‘deal’ with certain properties in the 39-ground palace.
A single judge on October 10 rejected his plea, accusing him of attempting to secure an injunction order restraining another legal heir Kumari Rani Meena Muthiah from exercising her right over the properties. Muthiah filed the present appeal and the bench of Justices Rajiv Shakdher and N Sathish Kumar ordered maintenance of status quo on the properties, which include a guest house, until further orders.
The bench posted the case before the single judge for December 21, for framing the issues. The bench also noted that the observations made by the single judge against Muthiah would not impact the merit of the suit or any other connected proceedings. Justice C V Karthikeyan had on October 10 censured Muthiah for having attempted to earn interim relief to deal with the property without first establishing his right as a ‘legal heir’ and without establishing that he was in possession of the properties.
Muthiah’s claim that he was the adopted son of M A M Ramaswamy and Sigappi Achi and that the adoption happened on February 9, 1996, came under adverse judicial notice, as Justice Karthikeyan referred to M A M Ramaswamy’s own sworn affidavits filed in subordinate courts at the height of his tiff with Muthiah. Though Ramaswamy filed affidavits stating that Muthiah was the natural son of R M Sekappa Chettiar and that his adoption was invalid because it was contrary to the customs of Nattukottai Nagarathar community, the civil court ordered maintenance of status quo.