A suit filed in the Madras high court by S. Murugan alias Poochi Murugan and P.A. Kaja Mohideen sought declaration as null and void, the lease deed executed by R. Sarath Kumar, managing trustee of Nadigar Sangham Charitable Trust (NSCT) and Radha Ravi, trustee of NSCT for the property in T Nagar and the lease deed executed by them in favour of M/s SPI Cinemas (P) Limited.
Justice R. Subbiah ordered notice, returnable by one week, to NSCT, R. Sarath Kumar, Radha Ravi and SPI Cinemas (P) Limited.
The plaintiffs contended that the South Indian Artists Association purchased 18 grounds in T Nagar and constructed a building. NSCT razed the building without authorisation or knowledge of the general body.
The association had executed a deed of declaration of public charitable trust on May 30, 1987, under the name and style of NSCT.
A general power of attorney was executed on August 10, 2010, by Radha Ravi in his capacity as general secretary and Sarath Kumar was appointed as agent to attend to activities relating to the development of a commercial project.
Without forming the trust board, Sarath Kumar and Radha Ravi have no power to deal with the property.
The charitable trust was created only for the welfare of the member artists of the South Indian Artists Association and if anything was done in the interest of the trust it must done only through the trust board, the plaintiffs contended.