CHENNAI: The first bench comprising Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala on Monday ordered notice to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) department to file within four weeks the response to a petition alleging several irregularities and mismanagement of Arulmigu Veerateeswarar temple in Kancheepuram.

The judges passed the direction on hearing the Public Interest Litigation filed by A Radhakrishanan of Salem. The petitioner sought direction to the HR&CE to safeguard Veeratteeswarar temple, its properties, and temple administration.

“The temple properties are encroached upon and some of them have been added as party respondents herein and other than those respondents, there are other persons are also encroached and however the fifth respondent (HR&CE Commissioner) department failed to take any action to secure the same, ” the petitioner submitted.

He further submitted he made a representation to the HR&CE Commissioner on July 1 to sort out the issues i.e., improper and illegal renovation process of the temple, encroachment on the temple properties, and improper administration of failure in maintaining the temple records as per the provision of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959.

However, the authorities had not solved the issues and merely conducted a survey for name sake, Radhakrishnan added.

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