Even as husband Rajinikanth is all set to announce his decision on his political entry, his wife Latha has been embroiled in a legal battle.
The Madras High Court has ordered the Chennai Corporation to take the help of the police to vacate Latha Rajinikanth’s shop in Chennai if she doesn’t comply with the new rental rates.
Latha runs a shop on CP Ramaswamy Road, widely considered prime real estate in the city. Operating out of a building owned by the Chennai Corporation, Latha has been running a travel agency called Travel Exchange India for the past 25 years. However, recently the Corporation increased the rent from Rs 3702 to Rs 21,160 per month. Latha’s lawyer Mohan Menon claims that this was done without any basis or explanation.
The Madras HC dismissed the petition filed on behalf of Latha Rajinikanth and directed the Corporation to take possession of the property in a month’s time if the due rent was not paid. The Corporation in its reply had said that the rent was increased considering the market price and renewal of the lease period.
The HC said that the Corporation can auction the shops if Latha does not agree to the new rent within a month. The Court allowed the shop to continue functioning only until the auction notice was issued. Once the notice is issued, the tenants would have to vacate the premises.
The Madras HC, in its order, observed, “The object of letting out the shops is to collect more revenue for the respondent – Municipality, which is meant to be used for welfare measures. Since the transactions are commercial in nature, the petitioners, being licensees, cannot insist that the rent, which as they think, just and proper alone is liable to be paid.”
Earlier in August, The Ashram Matriculation in Guindy, a school run by Latha Rajinikanth was sealed due to alleged non-payment of rent amounting to Rs 2 crore.