A woman property owner from Thiruvanmiyur has alleged prolonged harassment, administrative apathy, and illegal diversion of rental income in connection with a TASMAC liquor shop operating in her building, forcing her to stage a protest outside the premises.
Suganthi, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur, stated that in 2021 her husband had entered into a rental agreement to lease out the building, located adjacent to the Regional Transport Office (RTO), for a premium liquor shop. She said the lease was granted only after clear assurances were given that the premises would be used strictly for liquor sales and not for on-site consumption.
According to Suganthi, her husband passed away within seven to eight months of the agreement being signed. Thereafter, the situation at the premises deteriorated rapidly. She alleged that liquor consumers began drinking inside the premises, throwing bottles, engaging in fights, and using the surroundings as a public toilet while intoxicated, causing continuous disturbance and damage.
She said she had repeatedly approached the District Manager’s (DM) office over the last five years, requesting that the shop be vacated, but received no effective response. She alleged that employees of the liquor outlet refused to take responsibility for the behaviour occurring on the premises.
Suganthi further stated that she had lost faith in approaching the police, claiming that police personnel themselves consumed alcohol at the shop during visits by political leaders and VIPs. In view of this, she said she refrained from filing a formal police complaint and instead waited for the authorities to act.
According to her, the five-year rental agreement expired recently. After the expiry, the District Manager visited the site, during which she requested immediate vacating of the premises, citing pressure from the Highways Department to demolish the building and clear the land. Despite this, she alleged that the liquor shop continued to function for another five to six months beyond the agreement period.
She also alleged serious irregularities in the payment of rent. While the official rent for the premises was fixed at ₹1.5 lakh per month and authorised through official correspondence, she claimed that she was receiving only half the amount. The remaining portion, she alleged, was being paid to an unrelated individual named Saravanan, also referred to as “Thundu Saravanan”, whose role she said was never explained to her.
Suganthi stated that she became aware of the actual rent amount and the alleged diversion of funds only through her lawyer, nearly a year after her husband’s death. She claimed that even officials at the DM’s office failed to clarify why a third party was receiving a portion of the rent for a property owned solely by her family.
The situation worsened further following a major fire accident at the building earlier this week, she said. According to her, the fire destroyed old electrical wiring in a portion of the premises, leaving her unable to provide electricity to tenants or carry out rewiring due to financial constraints. She added that rewiring a building slated for demolition was impractical and unaffordable.
Suganthi said she was now facing a livelihood crisis and was unable to respond to the concerns of other tenants occupying the building. She asserted that closure of the liquor shop was the only way forward and that she had been compelled to spend money from her own pocket to lay rubble and sand at the entrance and stage a sit-in protest.
She alleged that the government’s inaction over several years had pushed her to the brink, forcing her to protest publicly at the entrance of her own property.
வாடகை ஒப்பந்தம் முடிந்தும் டாஸ்மாக் கடையை காலி செய்யாத உரிமையாளர்கள்.. ஸ்டேஷன்ல எந்த Complaint-ம் பண்ணாம 5 வருஷமா பொறுமையா காத்துட்டு இருக்கேன்.. டாஸ்மாக் கடையை காலி பண்ண சொன்னாலும் கேட்கல.. எனக்கு பாதி வாடகை பணம் தான் வருது.. மீதி பணம் இன்னொருத்தருக்கு போகுது.. அது ஏன் போகுதுனு… pic.twitter.com/p6ALpWX4kZ
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) January 23, 2026
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