On Wednesday, the Madras High Court, in a special hearing following the demise of former DMK chief M Karunanidhi, had dismissed several petitions that sought a ban on constructing memorials at Marina beach. However, activist Traffic Ramaswamy on Monday, whose petition was also dismissed, told Madras High Court Chief Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani that his lawyer accepted the dismissal of the petition without taking his permission and that it was forcibly dismissed.
He also requested that the bench sharing his petition be changed. To this, Chief Justice Tahilramani advised him to file a petition with the Registrar.
Traffic Ramaswamy had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the construction of Jaya memorial on Marina beach on the grounds that it was in violation of CRZ Regulations. He also demanded that the mausoleums of MGR and Annadurai be relocated. He had also stated that a memorial for J Jayalalithaa should not be built since she was convicted in the disproportionate assets case.
However, prior to the hearing, to ensure that a burial at Marina Beach could take place, the existing petitions were dismissed by the bench comprising Justices Huluvadi G Ramesh and SS Sundar.
On the night of August 7, when the hearing took place, Traffic Ramaswamy’s lawyer said that they would not be withdrawing the petition, and asked for more time from the court. But since it was a pressing matter, they had filed a memo, saying that they do not have an objection to Karunanidhi being buried on Marina Beach. This petition was also dismissed by the bench comprising Acting Chief Justice HG Ramesh and Justice Sundar.
N Rajaraman, who claimed to represent the activist, also made a representation before a bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice Gogoi and stated that a memorial cannot be built as it violates CRZ rules and that it should be stopped. This oral mention, however, was not taken.