A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court accusing the management of Malaimada church situated atop a hillock in Maduranthakam Taluk near here of encroaching upon adjoining areas including forest lands for construction of shops and other structures.
Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and R. Hemalatha on Tuesday directed Additional Government Pleader R. Vijay Kumar to take notice on behalf of the Revenue Secretary as well as the Chengelpet Collector and obtain instructions by next month. R. Raja, 45, a local resident, had filed the PIL petition with a plea to remove the encroachments.
The petitioner claimed that the church itself had been constructed about five decades ago on a piece of land classified as Meikaal Poromboke (land meant for grazing). Thereafter, the management laid a road and began disturbing the ecology of the hill, he alleged and accused it of having constructed many shops last year.
Unabated constructions had caused great damage to the animals on the hillock and also the archaeological sites on the foothills, he alleged.
