Kalaignar Karunanidhi Institute of Technology on HR&CE land?

Coimbatore:A private college in Coimbatore, owned by a former DMK minister, has come under the scanner for having been built allegedly by encroaching 9.36 acres of temple land. Members of the Thiruthondargal Sabai alleged that the Kalaignar Karunanidhi Institute of Technology, owned by former minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy, has been built by encroaching on land belonging to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department.

Members of the sabai, accompanied by police and revenue department officials visited the college at Pappampatty Pirivu on Friday for inspection. “The college has been built encroaching on 9.36 acres, worth Rs 50 crore, belonging to the HR&CE department. In 1898, V. Karuppa Gounder donated the land to the Chidambaram Natarajar and Tiruvanamalai Arunachaleswarar temples. It has been registered at the Sulur sub-registrar’s office,” said Mr A. Radharkishnan, founder president, Thiruthondargal Sabai.

However, two persons in charge of its maintenance sold it to a few others by creating fake documents. The land was finally bought by the DMK leader. As members of the sabai accompanied by police and Sulur tahsildar Rukmani arrived, the staff of the college refused to allows them in.

Tension prevailed for a while as DMK councillor Shanmugam from Kannampalayam town panchayat squatted in front of the vehicles, protesting against the arrival of officials for inspection.

Terming the inspections as borne out of political vendetta, Mr Palanisamy said the college had been built only after obtaining valid approval from all departments.

“We plan to file a police complaint against the sabai members for creating a nuisance in a public place. How can they come for a survey without even issuing a prior notice?” he queried. A posse of police personnel has been deployed in front of the college as a precautionary measure.