CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the national commission for scheduled castes (NCSC) to file a counter-affidavit in two weeks in connection with sending notice to the Murasoli Trust on a complaint alleging the office is located on panchami land.
Justice Anita Sumanth issued the direction instructing Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ARL Sundaresan, who represented the commission, to file the counter-affdiavit by June 27, after senior counsel P Wilson pointed out the commission had not filed the counter-affidavit on the petition which was filed in 2020.
The judge also wanted to know the procedure followed by the commission for holding inquiries into complaints it received. Wilson stated that the commission lacks jurisdiction to send notice to the Murasoli Trust on the the complaints relating to title of the land.
The commission cannot assume the powers of a civil court as the disputes over title of properties that are dealt by civil courts, he noted. He also found fault with the complainant R Srinivasan and the then vice-chairman of the commission L Murugan, who is a union minister now, for issuing notice as both belonged to BJP.