The Madras High Court made a significant statement that utilising political influence and authority to seize land from helpless common man is nothing less than daylight robbery. During the recent hearing of a contempt petition filed by 65-year-old landlady R. Girija against ward secretary S. Ramalingam of the ruling DMK party, a bench of Justice S.M. Subramaniam made this observation. According to the judge, the landlady and her husband are senior citizens and have endured much suffering. Under the elderly Citizen Act, it is the state's and the district collector's responsibility to protect elderly persons' safety and dignity.
Despite court orders, the accused had refused to leave the lady's property. The court had given orders to police to remove the DMK leader from office within 48 hours, as per a report on IANS.
“The courts will not remain (mute) spectators, especially, when citizens’ right to carry on with a peaceful life under Article 21 of the Constitution is threatened,” the bench warned, as per New Indian Express.
The woman, who rented out her house, told the court, "The arrears of rent are yet to be paid and the accused politician had not paid dues for five years using his political clout."
It is common practise to take advantage of the protracted legal processes involved in rent control cases to avoid eviction and recovering back rent. Even under new laws, attempts are made to prolong the legal process with the assistance of legal professionals. The bench ruled that such attempts must be stopped.
The police removed the accused DMK leader from the landlady petitioner's property as per the court instructions.
The comments were made in response to a contempt of court lawsuit filed by an elderly woman in Chennai's T Nagar who was trying to get a local DMK worker, S Ramalingam, removed from her building.