Bhubaneswar: In an uncanny likeness to the premise of south director Atlee’s ‘Jawan’ released on Thursday, which talks about the rights of the common man, the Madras High Court said that grabbing land from a powerless common man using political power is nothing but daylight robbery. Justice S Subramaniam also said the court had been witnessing large-scale exploitation of political power by politicians, especially in landgrab matters.
The court made the observations on Thursday, on a plea moved by R Girija, a senior citizen, whose house at T Nagar was occupied by S Ramalingam, a ward secretary of DMK, for over 13 years, that too without paying rent for five years. The DMK functionary refused to vacate the premises and managed to occupy the house by filing a rental dispute petition in a city court, according to a Times of India report.
On September 1, the High Court directed the Chennai Commissioner of Police to evict Ramalingam in 48 hours and hand over possession of the house to the owner-petitioner. When the plea came up for further hearing on Monday, the deputy commissioner of police (administration) filed a compliance report and informed the court that Ramalingam had been evicted from the house. The counsel for the petitioner, however, submitted that rental arrears for over five years are yet to be settled by Ramalingam.
Justice Subramaniam directed Ramalingam to appear in person or through counsel on September 11.
“It is imperative that this political power is not to be misused for illegal and personal gains. The power-wielding politicians have an inherent responsibility in having a positive and healthy impact on the lives of people and guiding them in the right path, but instead what we are witnessing today is politicians using their political connections and power to threaten and create nuisance to their political connections and power to threaten and create nuisance to the public,” the court said.
Politics must be played for the betterment of the common man and the country, instead, playing with the lives of the common man for securing monetary and personal gains is not only misuse of power, but against the constitutional ideals, Justice Subramaniam added.
