COIMBATORE: The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition filed by the temple trust’s president challenging an eviction notice issued by the National Highways (NH) authorities for constructing a service road beneath Periyanaickenpalayam flyover near Jothipuram.
A division bench of Justices S M Subramaniam and R Rajesh Vivekananthan, in an order dated October 6, observed that the authorities had identified the temple as encroaching on NH land as early as 2020.
The petitioner, R Rangaraj of the Jothipuram Thandu Mariamman Aarathanai and Vazhipadu Trust, argued that the authorities should consider the matter through monitoring committees constituted under a state G.O. issued in 2022.
Rejecting the argument, the court observed that the G.O. relating to encroachments on government land was not applicable here, as the eviction notice had been issued under the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002.
