The Madras High Court has directed the Madurai Corporation authorities to remove encroachments from the Chintamani water channel in Madurai city. The directive came while hearing a petition filed by Salai Sivakumar, who sought a court order to remove encroachments made by an individual near the Arapalayam bus stand in Madurai.
Details of the Petition
The petitioner submitted that an iron shed had been constructed as an encroachment on the water channel. It was noted that a similar encroachment had been previously made by the same private individual, which was removed in July 2025. Despite this, the encroachment was re-established.
Court Observations
A division bench comprising Justice G.R. Swaminathan and Justice B. Pugalendhi observed that the encroachment was committed taking advantage of the engagement of officials in the electoral process. The judges stated, "The photographs enclosed in the typed set of papers bear this out. This kind of brazen defiance of rule of law cannot be permitted."
Directions Issued
The court directed the corporation to remove the encroachments from the Chintamani water channel. Additionally, the police were instructed to provide protection to the corporation authorities during the removal process to ensure compliance with the court order.
