The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed in public interest seeking to quash the ‘patta’ given to former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and his son, M.K. Alagiri, for 0.53 acres at Kattoor village in Tiruvarur district.
The petitioner, S. Jaganathan of Thalathankudi in Tiruvarur district, alleged that the DMK leader had purchased the ‘natham’ land (given by the government to the landless poor) in 1953. He did not have the patta for 46 years. He obtained the document in 1999 when he was the Chief Minister. The petitioner alleged that the patta had been issued illegally. The First Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice M. Sathyanarayanan, quoted several judgments of the Supreme Court and High Courts and observed that after a careful consideration, appreciation of the material available on record and in the light of the legal position, it was of the view that the petition lacked bona fides. It had been filed to get publicity. There was no merit in the petition, the Bench said and dismissed it at the admission stage itself.