Four persons swoon as HR&CE officials attempt to seal shops on temple land

TIRUCHY: Four persons fainted after HR&CE officials went to seal the shops constructed near the Sri Balasubramania Swamy temple, Vennaimalai in Karur on Tuesday.

It is said that around 150 residents from Vennaimalai in Karur were residing on the land belonging to Sri Balasubramania Swamy temple from 1962, after purchasing the land through the revenue department, and they were also distributed patta for their respective lands.

Against such a backdrop, three years ago, Radhakrishnan, a volunteer from Tiruthondar Tirusabhai had claimed that the residents had encroached the land owned by the temple and submitted a petition with the district administration to remove the encroachment and retrieve the temple land.

As there was proper initiation to remove the encroachment, Radhakrishnan approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, appealing to remove the encroachments and retrieve the land or transfer the residents as tenants of the temple land and collect rent from them.

Subsequently, the court ordered in favour of Radhakrishnan and asked the district administration and HR&CE department to retrieve the land.

Based on the order, the officials sealed as many as 13 shops at the spot, but Radhakrishnan approached the court again, claiming that the district administration failed to adhere to the court direction and failed to remove the residents. The court then directed the district administration and HR&CE to implement the order, otherwise face contempt of court proceedings.

As per the latest order, on Tuesday, the HR&CE Assistant Commissioner Ramani Kanthan and other officials, along with Radhakrishnan, went to the spot and attempted to seal two shops owned by one Chandra Sekar and soon, more than 100 residents assembled in front of the shop and argued with the officials.

Karur DSP Selvaraj and Karur RDO Mohammed Faizal held talks with the agitating residents. The residents argued that they had purchased the land and had individual patta, and hence, they will not leave the place. But the officials continued to explain, and a heated argument erupted between the residents and the officials.

Suddenly three women fell down and fainted and they were rushed to the hospital while the other residents continued to argue with the officials and demanded either to allow them to stay there itself or an alternate land.

While the argument was on, Chandrasekar fell down unconscious and soon, he was also rushed to the hospital. The residents said that they would organise an indefinite protest if their demands were not fulfilled.