A few moments back, the Madras High Court concluded a midnight

hearing called on account of a petition moved by the Dravida

Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) against the state government’s refusal
to allow the burial of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister,
M.Karunanidhi at Marina Beach.

After being hospitalised for deteriorating health conditions a little

over a week back, DMK patriarch Karunanidhi passed away earlier
this evening. Following his passing, the state government had been
approached to allow Karunanidhi’s burial at Marina.

However, the state government declined to accede to the request.

The government had justified its refusal citing legal hurdles

primarily on account of petitions filed earlier in the Court against
the burial of late Chief Minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa
at Marina Beach.

Protesting the same, the DMK immediately moved an urgent

petition before the Madras High Court.
Acting Chief Justice HG Ramesh and JusticeSS Sundar agreed to
hear the same late on Tuesday night. The petition was admitted
after Advocate General Vijay Narayan was informed of the matter.

Since the AG is not presently in Chennai, the government was

represented by AAGs PH Arvindh Pandian, SR Rajagopal,
Government Pleader TN Rajagopal and Senior counsel CS
Vaidyanathan.

For the DMK, Senior Advocates P Wilson, R

Viduthalai, Shunmugasundaram, NR Elango,
and Veerkathivan appeared, along with Advocates Richard
Wilson, Girirajan, R Neelakandan, Arun, Edwin
Prabhakar, Muniapparaj and Rajendran. Arguments in the hearing
were lead by Senior Advocate Wilson.

Inter alia, the DMK pointed out that the petitions being cited as
legal hurdles to allowing the burial at Marina have been withdrawn
by the petitioners. It is reported that out of five such petitions, four
have been withdrawn so far.

One petition filed by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy has not been
withdrawn, Ramaswamy is reported to have said that there is no
need to withdraw the petition since it has nothing to do with the
burial of Karunanidhi.

In response to concerns regarding the possible Coastal Zone

Regulation violations, the DMK argued that the state had previously
defended the legality of burying Jayalalithaa in Marina on the
ground that there was no such violation.

This apart, the space sought for the burial of Karunanidhi has
also been notified as a crematorial/burial site by the resolution
passed by the Chennai Corporation.

The hearing is also said to have assumed political undertones when

the government justified its actions by also pointing out that former
Chief Ministers such as Kamarajar and Janaki Ramachandran were
not given a burial at Marina.

After hearing arguments till around 1.30 in the morning, the Court
finally adjourned the matter. The government has been asked to file
its reply by later this morning.

The matter will be taken up at 8 am in the Madras High Court.