The question of dispute in land for 20.62 acres SASTRA university has received jolt and been asked to return its encroachment by Highcourt
Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao (since retired) in September last and held that the land must necessarily be retrieved from the university without any scope for conveyance on payment of money. In his verdict, Justice Rao had held that the university could not be ordered to vacate when the government had conveyed similar lands to many other encroachers who included reputed educational institutions and hospitals.
Justice S.M. Subramaniam, who had differed with Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao had suggested that the properties in possession of the university since 1984 could be conveyed to it on payment of ₹10 crore to the public exchequer, Justice Subramaniam stood his ground and held that the government should not only take back the land but also levy a penalty on the university for unauthorised occupation.
Also , Justice Subramaniam said that a wrong precedent set by the State would not confer a legal right on all encroachers.
In view of the differing verdicts delivered by the two judges on the issue, the matter was referred to a third judge and after a full hearing, Justice Karthikeyan agreed with the view taken by Justice Subramaniam.
The third judge had reserved his verdict in the principal seat of the High Court here and delivered it at its Madurai Bench.
Giving a quietus to the disagreement between the two judges, he said: “The respondents (SASTRA University and Vee See Bee Trust administering Shanmuga Polytechnic) have more than abundant additional unused lands and they would be serving a far greater cause if they voluntarily vacate and construct the buildings in their own lands.
“They must realise that they have prevented the construction of an open air prison which would also have imparted education through reformation to an equal number of adolescent children. By the act of encroachment, the respondents have directly prevented the reformation of these unfortunate adolescent children.”
Further, holding the university guilty of having done “public disservice,” the judge pointed out that the out of the total area of 58.17 acres, the respondents had enjoyed 20.62 acres for more than 30 years without paying a “single naya paise” for such occupation he added
It is important to note Gurumurthy who vehemently opposed 6ft x3 ft of land for burial for DMK leader M.K Karunanithi near his mentor Arignar Anna in Merina is one amongst the trustee in SASTRA university .
Gurumurthy is recently appointed as Part time director as BJP’s Modi Government Nominee on the central board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He is also Editor for tamil vernakular Thuklaq magazine and a fierce RSS Policy propaganda personality
