Coming down heavily on the local authority in Sivakasi, the Madras High Court has allowed the installation of a freedom fighter’s statue at a local community hall after ordering its release from the tehsildar’s custody.

Justice G R Swaminathan pointed out that while a statue may have “symbolic value”, it is also “property in the legal meaning of the term”.

“The Tahsildar, Sivakasi has no right whatsoever in law to take away the statue which belongs to the writ petitioner and his community. A statue may have symbolic value but nevertheless it is also property in the legal meaning of the term,” the order read.

The court, therefore, said that the authority “could not have taken it away forcibly”.

“In fact, no provision of law has been cited which enables the Tahsildar to seize the statue

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