Supreme Court orders Tamil Nadu to relocate 20 flat owners before demolition
The Supreme Court ruled that buyers of flats built on mis-classified water-body land cannot bear the loss caused by government errors and ordered the state to provide alternate sites before any demolition.
The apex court examined appeals challenging a Madras High Court order that cancelled a ryotwari patta granted in 2011 over land classified as a public pond in Thirumullaivoyal village, Tiruvallur district. The patta had been used by P Ramadoss to secure a ₹3.40 crore loan from Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank and to sell 20 residential flats built by a builder who acted on the patta and municipal approvals. After a 2019 cancellation by the Commissioner of Land Administration, the high court ordered demolition of the unauthorised buildings.
The Supreme Court affirmed that cancellation but emphasized that innocent buyers, who relied on official permissions and revenue records, should not suffer the consequences of governmental lapses. Consequently, it instructed the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu and the District Collector of Tiruvallur to provide each flat owner with a vacant site of equivalent value, preferably within six months, before any demolition proceeds.
Why it matters
The ruling safeguards homebuyers from losses caused by faulty government approvals and sets a precedent for remedial relief in land disputes.
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