Topic: Famous Court Cases
AUROBINDO ASHRAM: HOUSE GRAB:
The famous House Grabbing case involving Aurobindo Ashram is now listed before Supreme Court and likely to be taken up on 18th of August, 2008. India's first Finance Minister and Constituent Assembly Member R.K.Shanmugam Chettiar's heir Mr.R.K.Selvarajan Chettiar owns three properties, known as Ragavan House, Columbani House and Kothandapani Godown. These properties were rented out to Aurobindo Ashram for the past so many years. Suddenly a conspiracy was hatched to forge a gift deed of these properties in favour of Mr.R.K.Selvarajan Chettiar's son Murugavel, and from him the Aurobindo Ashram Trust headed by Mr.Manoj Das Gupta bought these properties, but in order to fool the owner, continued to pay the rent even after the alleged purchase of the properties. Mr.R.K.Selvarajan Chettiar came to know of this cheating and lodged a complaint two times with the Pondicherry Police, which refused to register the case, as usual. Mr.R.K.Selvarajan Chettiar approached the High Court of Madras which issued orders to register the case, thereafter an FIR was filed on The Managing Trustee of Aurobindo Ashram Trust Mr.Manoj Das Gupta, among others. Mr.Manoj Das Gupta obtained anticipatory bail in this case. In an interview to SUNTV by 2003 end, I had openly told about this anticipatory bail. Had he been a Minister hue and cry seeking his resignation would have erupted,
The Police who filed the charge sheet later had conveniently omitted the Managing Trustee. The first accused, namely R.K.Selvarajan Chettiar's son Murugavel had approached for relieving him in this case, which was turned down by local court, High Court and also the by the Apex Court. In a connected civil suit R.K.Shelvarajan challenged the validity of the sale deeds executed behind his back and in that the Ashram Trustees in order to side-track the Court raised a technical objection through the said Murugavel who filed an application questioning the stamp duty paid on the suit. This Application was dismissed by the Principal District Munsif at Pondicherry and thereafter a revision filed before the High Court also was dismissed. Presently an SLP in respect of the same is coming up for hearing on 18.08.2008 before the Supreme Court. On 28.07.2008 the Ashram Trustees concerned put up their appearance through their Counsel and prayed for time and the Court granted time till 18.08.2008. This House Grabbing case over years had been reported here in New Indian Express, Dinamalar, and SUN TV. But at national level televisions or English and Hindi dailies, have yet to throw light on this case. We live in days when media acts as watch dogs of society. Let present day journalists turn their eye on ashram. We from politics are scoundrels, because there is a saying that politics is the last resort of the scoundrel. But there are more dangerous people within spiritual empires; they too deserve the same media expose before the ultimate masters in a democracy, the people of India.
Order Passed By the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India on 28.07.2008
ITEM NO.5 COURT NO.12 SECTION XII SUPREME COURT OF INDIARECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (Civil) No(s).2223/2007(From the judgment and order dated 27/10/2006 in CRP No. 1628/2005 of
The HIGH COURT OF MADRAS)
S. MURUGAVEL Petitioner(s) VERSUS R.K. SELVARAJAN & ANR. Respondent(s) (With appln(s) for directions) Date: 28/07/2008 This Petition was called on for hearing today. CORAM:HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DALVEER BHANDARIHON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HARJIT SINGH BEDIFor Petitioner(s) Mr. K.K. Mani,Adv.
Mr. C.K.R. Lenin Sekar, Adv.
Mr.R.K. Pandey, Adv.
For Respondent(s) Mr. Bijan Kumar Ghosh,Adv.
Mr. P. Gandhi, Adv.
Mr. Dipankar Burman, Adv.
Ms. Anitha Shenoy, Adv. UPON hearing counsel the Court made the followingORDER
In view of the letter circulated by learned counsel for the respondent No. 2, two weeks' time is granted to file counter-affidavit.List after two weeks.
Pardeep Kumar) (Neeru Bala Vij)
Court Master Court Master
