HC restrains AC Muthiah from setting up cricket pavilion

The Madras High Court has restrained industrialist AC Muthiah from using a playground in Adyar here to establish a cricket pavilion in the name of late MAM Ramaswamy.

Justice N Kirubakaran granted the interim injunction on a petition by V Palaniappan of the Gandhi Nagar Educational Society.

The petition sought a direction to the government to inspect the playground measuring five acres and decide on the nature of its use by MAC Spin Foundation, represented by its director AC Muthiah, and consequently ask the Commissioner of Chennai Corporation to remove the structure put up by the foundation on the ground.

After recording the submission of the city corporation that it had already issued a stop work notice on August 22 saying no construction work should be carried out at the site, the judge then granted an interim injunction.

The petitioner prayed for a direction to prevent the foundation from interfering with the peaceful possession and enjoyment of the playground by students of 11 schools in the vicinity.

When the matter came up on August 29, the counsel for Corporation of Chennai assured the court that the corporation would issue a "lock and seal" notice to stall the attempts of the foundation to carry out construction activities or make use of it.

The judge then posted the matter for further hearing to September 19.

Veteran industrialist and founder of the Rs 10,000 crore business empire Chettinad Group, Ramaswamy died in December last year.