Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and Madras Cricket Club (MCC) to set apart Rs 16.30 crore and Rs 2.06 crore respectively in Fixed Deposits and keep them alive for six months in respect of the disputed claim towards rental arrears made by the State Revenue Department.
Passing orders on the petitions filed by TNCA and MCC, Justice K. Ravichandrabaabu who gave the directive, said, “The petitioners shall not withdraw or realise the said Fixed Deposits either within such time or even after its expiry, without the permission of this court”. In their petitions, the TNCA and MCC challenged the notices issued by Mylapore-Triplicane Tahsildar demanding rental arrears to the tune of Rs 1,553 crore and over 150 crores respectively. The notices demanded rental arrears from 2001 for the land on which MA Chidambaram Cricket Stadium is situated in Chepauk.
The judge said, “In view of the fixed deposits made by these petitioners, the bank accounts of the petitioners frozen by the authorities shall be released forthwith”. The judge also recorded the undertaking given by the Advocate general that in view of the present interim order granted by this court, the authorities will not take any coercive steps against the petitioners to enforce the impugned order in each petition.
The judge also made it clear that the pendency of these petitions and granting of the interim relief shall not stand in the way or be a bar for the parties to go for negotiations to arrive at a viable settlement, in the meantime, if possible. The judge posted after six weeks, further hearing of the case.
