Chennai, Jan 18: Even as a political tussle is on for MGR's legacy, the former Chief Minister's family members have launched a legal battle over his Ramavaram estate, where the legendary matinee idol lived most of his life and breathed his last.The feud between the heirs to the property and the executor of the will, who is also a relative of MGR, hit the headlines last year, and the matter has now reached the court halls. Three of the five heirs to a significant portion of the 6.5 acre Ramavaram property, have moved the Madras High Court, seeking the appointment of an Advocate Commissioner to settle the dispute over apportioning of the estate among the beneficiaries of MGR's Will.
High Court Judge, Justice S S Subramani, who heard the civil revision petition filed by the three close kin of MGR (his adopted daughter, Radha Gopalakrishnan and Janaki MGR's nieces Sudha Vijayan and Geetha Madhumohan), has directed the counsels of the will executor and the heirs to reach a settlement on demarcating the
property between the School for Deaf and Dumb, and the five heirs. The case is posted for hearing again on January 27.
The crux of the dispute is this: On the map of the property, MGR had marked the various buildings and gardens in alphabetical order from `a' to `j' and apportioned the buildings to his five heirs. The rest of the land was for a home for the deaf and dumb.
However, the map was not drawn to scale, sparking off the on-going conflict. While the three of the five heirs are laying claim to certain other portions of the estate including the fruit garden, servant quarters and the Gobar gas plant, the will executor says they belong to the deaf and dumb school functioning inside the estate.
The other two heirs, Janaki MGR's niece Janaki Sivaraman and MGR's adopted son Appu's wife Nirmala (will executor Rajendran's sister) have decided to keep away from the feud.
Last August, the relatives petitioned the Revenue Divisional Officer of Kancheepuram district for cancellation of the patta which
allegedly was made without their knowledge. They also obtained an interim injunction from the district munsif court, Poonammallee, on August 29 last year, restraining the will executor and the school students from using the main gate or stepping into their property. Rajendran got the injunction suspended.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
