Investigate encroachment by Besant Nagar church: Madras High Court

CHENNAI: A Division Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Chennai Corporation authorities to conduct a joint inspection on alleged encroachment made by Annai Velankanni Shrine in Besant Nagar.The Bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam gave the direction when a PIL from K Gopi, a fisherman of  Odaima Nagar, came up on Thursday.

The PIL prayed for a direction to the authorities to consider his representation and take necessary steps to remove the unauthorised constructions put up by the shrine.According to Gopi, the present Besant Nagar was known as Odaikuppam hamlet for generations and it was shown as Odaikuppam village in the revenue records.