Ahead of the scheduled ODI between India and Pakistan on December 30, the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed state government authorities to allow the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association to use three stands at the M A Chidambaram stadium here for public use during the match.
The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam, directed the respondents to permit TNCA to use ‘I’, ‘J’ and ‘K’ stands for the use of public through sale of tickets for the match.
Holding that the present permission has been granted only on consideration of the peculiar circumstances and taking note of the importance of the event, the bench said, “This permission granted shall not be treated as a precedent for any future matches and shall be confined only to the match scheduled on December 30.”
It was stated that the match was to be witnessed by thousands of cricket fans, several hundreds of visiting fans and 50 delegates from Pakistan, including the chairman of the PCB.
TNCA had prayed for an interim injunction restraining authorities from interfering with the use of I, J and K stands in the stadium for the match.
Corporation of Chennai had issued a notice to lock, seal and demolish the stands, alleging that the construction of these stands was unauthorised and had been carried out without planning permission under Town and Planning Act, 1971.
The bench also stayed the conditions imposed by Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Chennai, not permitting the use of I, J and K stands until further orders.
However, the bench said the ACP shall be entitled to impose other conditions for regulating the parking of vehicles during the match, and the TNCA shall comply with all such conditions scrupulously.
The bench said TNCA shall indemnify the authorities from any damage or claims that may occur on account of the permission granted to them to use the three stands.
The bench posted the matter after six weeks.
