Chennai: The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed
a Public Interest Litigation petition calling it a 'private
interest litigation,' as the petitioner sought 10 per cent of
the properties belonging to the royal family of the erstwhile
Raja of Pudukottai.
In their strongly worded judgement, the Chief Justice
M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam called the petitioner a
"cheat, mischief monger, property grabber and blackmailer" and
said they could "hardly see any public interest in it" and it
was "a clear abuse of the jurisdiction of the court."
Petitioner Thanushkodi claimed to be a 'property
genealogist and a honorary social worker' had sought for a
direction of upon the royal family of Pudukottai to produce
all the records of the jewels allotted them when the Union of
India took over the princely state in 1948 and also to direct
the government of India to notify the jewels under the
Antiquity Jewels and Treasuries Act and Rules of Indian States
(Abolition of Privileges) Act, 1973.
He also wanted these jewels had historical value and they
should be notified under the provisions of the Act and also
acquired by the state and further claimed to be a special
power of attorney of majority of the successor of the
Pudukottai royal family and he is eligible for 10 per cent of
the properties of the royal family.
Rama Devi, daughter of the ninth and last son of Raja
Rajagopal Thondaiman in her counter denied to have sold that
ornaments as claimed by the petitioner and said she did
not have the right to do so.
The State Bank of India in its affidavit said the boxes
containing the said property were in its "safe custody."
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, July 19, 2011, 18:57