Revenue officials seals Hotel Saravana Bhavan premise near Chennai airport
The action was carried out following a court order, which directed the district administration to take possession of the prime 15-ground (approximately 40,112 square feet) land, valued at an estimated Rs. 300 crore, on which the vegetarian restaurant was operating.
Court order
JCB (backhoe loader) removing the hotel's board
Visuals from the spot
Officers inspecting the clearance.
Officers seals the hotel building.
CHENNAI: In a pre-dawn operation on Tuesday, revenue officials from the Chengalpattu district sealed a sprawling restaurant premises located on the Chennai-Trichy National Highway ( GST Road ) in Alandur near the Chennai airport.
The action was carried out following a court order, which directed the district administration to take possession of the prime 15-ground (approximately 40,112 square feet) land, valued at an estimated Rs. 300 crore, on which the vegetarian restaurant was operating.
According to revenue department sources, the land is government-owned and was leased to the private hotel management. The primary reason for the sealing was the hotel's continued operation even after the lease period had expired and its failure to hand over the land and the commercial building back to the government.
The case was being heard in the Alandur court, which delivered its verdict on Wednesday evening. The court ordered that the land be restored to the government's possession.
Acting on the orders of Chengalpattu district collector and the court's directive, a team of revenue officials arrived at the spot in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Despite heavy rain, the officials, accompanied by earthmovers, evacuated the hotel staff, removed the hotel's name boards, and sealed the two main entrances of the building.
A notice has been placed at the site, warning that no one is allowed to trespass onto the property, which is now under the control of the Chengalpattu District Revenue Department.
