Radha Ravi, Sarath plea rejected

The plea of R Sarath Kumar, managing trustee, and Radha Ravi, trustee, of Nadigar Sangham Charitable Trust, to set aside an order dated October 8, which granted permission to two trust members to file a civil suit challenging grant of lease of trust property worth about `150 crore in the commercial hub of T Nagar to a private party, has been rejected by the Madras HC.

“We do not find any merit in the contention of the appellants....” (Sarath and Ravi), a division bench comprising justices R Banumathi and KK Sasidharan said and dismissed an appeal from the duo on Nov 30 last.

Originally, trust members S Murugan alias Poochi Murugan of Foreshore Estate and P A Kaja Mohideen of Royapettah filed an application in the High Court challenging the grant of lease of property to SPI Cinemas P Ltd, Royapettah, and a single judge on October 8 granted leave to file a civil suit. Aggrieved, Sarath and Ravi filed the present appeal.

Dismissing the same, the bench said that Murugan and Mohideen had challenged the alleged action taken by the appellants to grant lease of the trust property for a paltry sum to a private party in a secret manner. The court was concerned only about the said action. The fact that the general body subsequently met and approved the action would not restrain the court from considering the bona fides of the action originally taken by the appellants as trustees.