Chennai: Days after a single judge of Madras high court restrained the Music Academy from conferring the annual Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award for 2024 on Carnatic singer T M Krishna, the Academy has filed an appeal in the court challenging the order.
On Nov 19, a single judge of the court barred the Academy from conferring the award carrying MS Subbulakshmi's name, on a plea moved by Subbulakshmi's grandson. The court, however, allowed the academy to confer the award without the name of Subbulakshmi.
V Shrinivasan, grandson of Subbulakshmi, wanted the court to restrain the academy from conferring the award to Krishna saying the latter had made several derogatory statements against Subbulakshmi.
In the present appeal, the Academy said the single judge had erroneously applied the arm principle to conclude that the will bars the institution of awards in her name. It is clear from the recitals of the will that there is no bar in respect of any award, much less a cash prize.
The academy further questioned the locus standi of Shrinivasan and contended that he is just one of the several beneficiaries of the last will of Subbulakshmi and, as such, does not derive any enforceable right to sustain the suit as a legal representative of the testator.
When the appeal came up for hearing before a division bench of Justice S S Sundar and Justice P Dhanabal, the bench adjourned the hearing to Dec 9.