PRAYER IN A.No.3416 of 2026: To condone the delay of 405 days in filing the application to set aside the abatement caused due to the death of the 1st Petitioner, Late Mr.M.C.Ramamurthy, in the above Application No.4268 of 2023 in the above OP.

PRAYER IN A.No.3417 of 2026: To set aside the abatement caused due to the death of the 1st Petitioner, Late Mr.M.C.Ramamurthy, in the above Application No.4268 of 2023 in the above OP.

PRAYER IN A.No.3419 of 2026: To bring on legal heir Mr.Sandeep Kumar, as applicant due to the death of the 1st Petitioner, Late Mr.M.C.Ramamurthy, in the above Application No.4268 of 2023 in the above OP.

A. No. 4268 of 2023:

1.Mr.M.C.Ramamurthy Son of late Chakrapani

2.Mr.M.G.C.Prabhakaran S/o.Late Chakrapani, Mr.M.C.Chandran (Deceased) S/o.Late Chakrapani Ms.M.C.Leelavathy (Deceased) D/o.Late Chakrapani

3.Ms.Vijayalakshmi Venugopal D/o.Late Chakrapani

4.Mr.M.C.Rajendran S/o.Late Chakrapani

5.Mr.M.C.Vijayakumar S/o.Late Chakrapani

6.Mr.Sunder Rajan S/o.M.C.Sathya Bama

7.Sumathi Mohan Kumar D/o.M.C.Sathya Bama

8.Geetha Rajan Nair D/o.M.C.Sathya Bama

9.Mrs.Thulasi Sugumar W/o.M.C.Sugumar

10.Menaka Sugumar D/o.M.C.Sugumar (Minor rep., by her mother and natural guardian and next friend Thulasi Sugumar 11th petitioner herein)

11.Mrs.Seetha Balu W/o.M.C.Balu

12.Mr.Pradeep Balu S/o.M.C.Balu

13.Praneetha Balu D/o.M.C.Balu, All are residing at 14/32, Club Road, 1B, Amity Apartments, Chetpet, Chennai 600 031.

(All represented by their duly Constituted Power of Attorney Mr.M.C.Chandran)

..Applicant(s)

Vs

M.Rajendran (Deceased)

Honble Mr.Justice Hariparanthaman (Retd)

High Court, Madras at No.2, First Main Road, Kamaraj Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai 600 041.

..Respondent(s)

PRAYER: To condone the delay of 349 days in filing the petition to set aside the order of dismissal for non-prosecution on 29.06.2022.

For Applicant(s): M/S.M.Narayanaswamy A.Veerasamy B.Ram Kumar K.Suresh Babu in all

For Respondent(s): C.Jagadish in all

COMMON ORDER

1. The present petition concerns the estate of one of this State’s most distinguished personalities, who held an enduring place in the hearts of millions and dominated the fields of cinema and public life for nearly half a century. Though he passed away about four decades ago, his name and legacy remain vibrant in public memory. He is Dr. M.G. Ramachandran, popularly known as “M.G.R.”, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

2. Before dealing with the Applications referred to above, it is necessary to briefly set out the background of the case, as it reveals how the Court's process has been taken for granted and the litigation has been kept pending indefinitely, without any justifiable reason, partly due to lapses in the functioning of the Registry.

3. Dr M.G. Ramachandran died on 24.12.1987, leaving a Will dated 18.01.1987. This Court probated the Will in O.P. No. 388 of 1992 by order dated 14.07.1992.

4. The petitioners in O.P. No. 69 of 2012 claim through the late M.G. Chakrapani, brother of the late Dr M.G. Ramachandran. Petitioners 1 to 7 are the children of M.G. Chakrapani; petitioners 8 to 10 are his grandchildren through his daughter, Sathyabama; petitioners 11 and 12 are respectively the widow and daughter of his deceased son, M.C. Sugumar; and petitioners 13 to 15 are respectively the widow and children of his deceased son, M.C. Balu. Thus, claiming to be the legal heirs of M.G. Chakrapani and, consequently, the Class II heirs of the late Dr M.G. Ramachandran under the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, they filed the present original petition.

5. The original petitioners filed O.P. No. 69 of 2012 seeking the grant of Letters of Administration in respect of the property described in the petition schedule, situated at Virugambakkam Village, comprised in Survey No. 255 and Town Survey No. 147. According to them, the said property is not covered by the Will dated 18.0