The Madras High Court has adjourned till 8am today hearing on a DMK plea to allot space on the Marina beach for burial of party leader M Karunanidhi.

The DMK moved the court hours after the state government announced its inability to allot burial space on the Marina beach citing legal hurdles.

In a special late night hearing before the first bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice S S Sundar, the counsel for DMK questioned the government's legal ground for not allotting space for burying Karunanidhi at the Marina beach.

Hearing the matter, Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh adjourned it to 8 am.

The DMK argued that there was no legal impediment to allotting space within the memorial of former chief minister C N Annadurai on the beachfront.

Senior counsel for the state government, making their submissions, said they would get instructions and file a counter in the morning.

In his observations, the acting chief justice told the government counsel that "every minute of delay" may cause problems to the government and asked if it was prepared to handle it.

He also said Karunandihi was among the tallest leaders of the country and asked what was the problem in allotting a burial site for him at the Marina.

While the special hearing was held at the acting chief justice's residence here, the matter, which was adjourned, will be heard at the court in the morning.

Advocate G Doraisamy (Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam) and PMK advocate K Balu submitted before the bench that they were withdrawing their petitions against construction of a memorial for chief minister J Jayalalithaa at the Marina beach.

This will remove legal hurdles for the government allowing a site for Karunanidhi, they told reporters later.

Counsel for DMK P Wilson and Saravanan had earlier gone to the residence of the acting Chief Justice and sought permission to move an urgent motion.

The acting chief justice directed them to serve notice on the advocate general, saying he would hear the case at 10.30 pm at his residence.

Earlier, DMK working president M K Stalin, recalling the long public life of Karunanidhi, had written to chief minister K Palaniswami seeking space inside the mausoleum complex of the departed leader's mentor C N Annadurai at the Marina.

A government statement said it was "unable to allot space at Marina beach owing to several pending cases in the Madras High Court and legal complications."

Hence, the government is prepared to allot a two-acre site on Sardar Patel Road near the memorials to Rajaji and Kamaraj, it said.

First Published:Aug 8, 2018 7:18 AM IST