The battle over a palatial bungalow being built on over 40,000 sq ft area in the Kodanadu estate in Udhagamandalam, alleged by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi as belonging to AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha and her aide Sasikala Natarajan and not denied so far by them, has gone to court.
Two writ petitions were filed in the Madras High Court on Saturday, one by the Kothagiri panchayat union seeking demolition of “illegal and unauthorised constructions” in the estate and another by the estate manager challenging the notice issued by the local administration seeking documents and ownership details.
Kothagiri panchayat president K K Raja, on whose complaint local authorities entered the estate to look into his complaints about violation of rules and slapped notice on the owners, said in his writ petition that Ms Jayalalitha and Mrs Sasikala Natarajan were building a palatial structure and cutting down hundreds of trees in violation of forest and environment laws. They had built a check dam and created an artificial lake by blocking the natural flow of a stream across the hills, he alleged.
He prayed that the power supply to the estate be disconnected and police protection for officials who have to carry out the demolition.
The petitions has been posted to Tuesday next for hearing.