HC Dismisses As Withdrawn Rajinikanth's Plea Over Property Tax Demand On His Marriage Hall

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed as withdrawn a petition filed by top actor Rajinikanth over a property tax demand of Rs 6.50 lakh by the city corporation on his marriage hall here for the first half of the current financial year. Justice Anitha Sumanth warned of imposing costs on the actor for approaching the court soon after sending a notice to the civic body for relief under vacancy remission rule citing closure of the marriage hall due to COVID-19 lockdown during the six month period.

The petition, in which the actor sought a direction to the civic body to dispose of his notice, was dismissed as withdrawn after the actor’s counsel filed a memo later in the day. The actor submitted that he regularly pays property tax for his marriage hall Raghavendra Mandapam and had paid the last due for the second half of 2019-20 on February 14.

The corporation has recently raised a property tax demand of Rs 6,50,660 for the period from April to September this year. The petitioner submitted that Section 105 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919 allows remission in the tax amount if any building remained unlet for 30 or more consecutive days in any half-year.

He said his hall has been “unlet/vacant” since March 24, when the government had imposed a national lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus. The bookings made earlier had been cancelled and the deposit money refunded to the concerned persons. Hence, he had sent a notice to the Corporation on September 23 seeking vacancy remission under Section 105 of the act but the first respondent, the civic body’s chief, has not passed any orders.

Whileso, the corporation also warned of levying a two per cent penalty if he did not pay the amount by October 15, he said. He sought an interim injunction restraining the civic body from seeking penalty pending disposal of his petition in the court and a direction to the Corporation Commissioner to dispose of his September 23 notice for vacancy remission. PTI SA VS VS 10141836 NNNN.

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