Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Chennai, March 18: The Chennai High Court yesterday extended the interim injunction granted in favour of ace rally driver N Leelakrishnan by a week, until March 23.
According to press release from Leelakrishnan8217;s sponsors, MRF, here, he has filed another application against the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India FMSCI for the appointment of an Advocate Commissioner to inspect V R Naren Kumar8217;s vehicle together with a Service Engineer of Maruti Udyog and a representative of the plaintiff or his sponsors to find out whether a prohibited drive shaft has been fitted to Naren8217;s vehicle and to report.
The High Court has granted FMSCI time till March 23 to file a counter, and it is quite probable that the interim application could be heard and decided, the release said.
It may be recalled that the dispute arose out of the incident during the Castrol Deccan Rally, the concluding leg of the National Championship in December 1997. Naren Kumar, sponsored by MRF, had finished first, followed byLeelakrishnan.
But Naren skipped the mandatory post-event scrutiny, leading to his exclusion. The organisers did not upgrade Leelakrishnan to first place, which they left vacant. The move cost Leelakrishnan the National title.The matter eventually ended up in court while Naren, in the meantime, made a written submission to the FMSCI that his car was fitted with illegal drive shaft. The FMSCI then suspended Naren for two years.
The FMSCI, having declared JK Tyre-sponsored Hari Singh as the National champion, organised a prize-distribution function in Bangalore on March 3. But Leelakrishnan secured a stay order restraining the FMSCI from awarding prizes in the four-wheeler category.
