The Supreme Court has asked the Tamil Nadu government to consider whether it can take alternate land from Shastra University in lieu of the 31.37 acres that the institution is accused of encroaching in Thanjavur district.
The disputed land, a 31.37-acre dry wasteland in Thirumalaisamudram, had been earmarked for setting up an open-air prison. Complaints alleged the university occupied the site, put up large buildings and has been running classes there. On January 9, the Madras High Court directed the Revenue Department to immediately recover the encroached land.
Shastra University challenged that order before the Supreme Court, which earlier granted an interim stay on the High Court’s direction. The matter later came up again before a bench led by Chief Justice Suryakant, along with Justices Jaymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana.
Senior advocate C.S. Vaidyanathan, appearing for the university, told the court it was willing to hand over to the government another parcel of land owned by the university about 5 km away, or pay an amount based on the market value of the disputed land. The state, represented by Additional Advocate General Haripriya and senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, argued that encroachment of government land cannot be permitted.
The bench noted that a large educational institution is functioning at the site and that the education of thousands of students is involved. It directed the Tamil Nadu government to hold high-level consultations and file its stand on the proposal to accept alternate land, and adjourned the hearing for four weeks.
