Court orders Chennai school to vacate temple property

CHENNAI: A Chennai court has ordered an elementary school functioning from a building owned by a temple at Villivakkam to vacate the premises within three months after removing the first and second floors constructed without permission.

The case was filed in 2005 by the Arulmigu Sowmya Damodhara Perumal Temple at Villivakkam that owns the property where Sri Kanaga Durga Elementary School is situated. The school is under the control and management of Villivakkam Telugu Higher Secondary School.

The superstructure was constructed in 1949. The main purpose of the school is to give education to the linguistic minority of Telugu speaking people. The school has been functioning since 1949.

The rent was fixed at Rs 1,905 per month. The school authorities had not paid rent for 36 months from November 1, 2001 till October 2004 owing a backlog of Rs 68,580. The tenancy right expired in 2004. But they still did not vacate the property after which the suit was filed.

The temple authorities had asked the school to get permission from the joint commissioner of the Hindu religious and charitable endowment department for further construction. But the management built two floors above the ground floor without getting permission.

V additional city civil judge J Chandran, said, “Three months’ time is hereby granted to the defendant to vacate and hand over the vacant possession of the property to the plaintiff after removing the constructions.”


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