Chennai: The Madras high court has appointed Justice S. Rajeswaran, a retired judge of this court, as trustee-cum-chairman to the P.T. Lee Chengalvaraya Naicker Trust to manage the affairs of the trust.
Passing orders on a petition filed by the secretary of the trust, a division bench comprising Justices R. Sudhakar and S.Vaidyanathan said Justice Rajeswaran shall hold the said post from the date of assuming charge, for the remaining period ending on September 19, 2017. The administrator general and official trustee was directed to handover the affairs of the trust immediately to the newly appointed trustee-cum-chairman on taking charge of the affairs of the trust, the bench added.
Holding that the existing trustees shall continue till the end of their tenure, the bench pointed out that the trustees were serving a charitable cause to further the object of the public charitable trust created by a philanthropist-P.T.Lee Chengalvaraya Naicker.
They were bound to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their stature as a trustee and enhance the reputation of the trust.
The discord among the trustees over the past many years does not augur well for the trust. There was no question of trustees creating a furore on caste or communal lines among themselves. All trustees were bound to act in unison to achieve the objects of the trust.
They have to strengthen the hands of the trustee-cum-chairman, who was none other than the former judge of the Madras high court, in running the affairs of the trust, the bench added.
The bench said, “If one or the other trustee is found acting against the interest and objects of the trust or if his conduct is reprehensible or unbecoming of a trustee or if he indulges in such acts that hamper the smooth functioning of the trust or if his attitude is tainted on the lines of misconduct or misdemeanor, certainly such a trustee will have no place in the trust, as he will render himself or herself incapable of holding such post.
The trustee-cum-chairman has all the powers to bring to the attention of this court of such deviant conduct or behaviour or such acts which go against the interest of the trust, so as to enable the court to pass appropriate orders on the continuance of such trustee”.
