Litigant wants expert committee to look into alleged violations in Madurai shopping mall

MADURAI: Two days after a fire broke out in Super Saravana Stores near MGR Bus stand, advocate Henri Tiphagne, who filed a petition last year to temporarily close down the mall, requested the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday to direct an expert committee to look into the omissions and violations in the mall building.

Tiphagne, who appeared before Justice K Murali Shankar, also alleged inaction on part of the district collector in the issue. He wanted the court to appoint an expert committee comprising DGP Fire and Rescue Services, Inspector General of Police (South Zone), experts from IIT, member secretary of district legal services authority, to inspect the mall and file a report to the court. However, the counsel appearing for the mall, sought dismissal of the petition on the grounds of maintainability. Justice Shankar adjourned the case to Wednesday for further hearing.

The shopping mall was inaugurated on December 5 last year. Shortly after that, Tiphagne filed the petition alleging that the mall was opened before the construction works were completed and that it lacked emergency exits. He also alleged that the mall's construction has affected the nearby water channel and that a large amount of sand was dumped. While several officials, based on the court's directions, submitted reports and documents relating to the building plan approval etc, and the case was pending, a fire broke out in the mall on March 1, allegedly due to a short-circuit in the ninth floor. The mall was temporarily shut down for the public.

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