DINDIGUL: The CB-CID on Wednesday arrested four persons in connection with the alleged fraudulent registration of land worth ₹100 crore belonging to the Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamigal Mutt in Palani using forged documents. The police are on the lookout for another suspect.
The arrested have been identified as Murugadas (56) of Villupuram district, who allegedly sold the land using forged documents; Vellaithurai (60) of Madathukulam in Tiruppur district, who allegedly purchased the property; Sethupathi of Palani Pudur; and advocate Anvarudeen (65) of Palani, who is alleged to have facilitated the fraud.
They have been booked under Sections 318(4), 336(3), 340(2), 49 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The arrests came a day after former AIADMK MLA K.S.N. Venugopal Senapathi moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking a CBI probe into the case. In his petition, he alleged that the CB-CID had not made any arrests despite having taken over the investigation and expressed apprehension over the fairness of the probe, as the allegations involve government officials.
According to police sources, four CB-CID teams searched houses and lodges in Palani and other places before securing the accused on Tuesday night. They were brought to the CB-CID office in Dindigul for questioning.
Senior CB-CID officers supervised the interrogation at the Dindigul office on Wednesday morning. The accused are expected to be produced before the jurisdictional court in Madurai later in the day.
The case pertains to the alleged fraudulent registration of the mutt's land on Sannathi Street in Palani for ₹2 crore using forged documents, allegedly in violation of a court order. Based on a complaint lodged by Muruganandam, Superintendent of the Palani Temple Lands Division, the Palani Adivaram police registered a case against Sub-Registrar Justin Manikandan, trust functionary Murugadas, purchaser Vellaithurai, Sethupathi and others under charges including criminal conspiracy and cheating.
After the State Government transferred the case to the CB-CID on July 15, more than 30 police personnel led by SP Shajitha and DSP Ajay Thangam have been conducting an intensive investigation in Dindigul and Palani.
As part of the probe, the CB-CID questioned more than 15 persons, including former temple Joint Commissioner Marimuthu, retired Tahsildar Mariyappan, retired Village Administrative Officer Chinnasamy and HR&CE Inspector Sivanesan.
Meanwhile, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court granted interim anticipatory bail to Sub-Registrar Justin Manikandan and directed him to appear before the CB-CID office in Dindigul daily from July 27 to August 3. He has been appearing before the investigating officers in compliance with the order.
In a related development, the original legal heirs of Kuppusamy Maniyakkarar, who is claimed to have owned the land in 1880, appeared before the CB-CID office in Dindigul on Tuesday evening. Sundari, her son Vishnu Sudarsan and daughter Jayalakshmi submitted the original title deed and other documents in their possession and gave statements before the investigating officers.
The police are also searching for Jayaprakash, a land broker and document writer from Oddanchatram, who is suspected to be involved in the alleged fraud.
In a major restructuring of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, the Tamil Nadu government has divided its administrative jurisdiction into North and South zones and vested two IAS-rank Additional Commissioners with wide-ranging supervisory powers over temple properties, finances, leases, encroachments and administration.
Under the new arrangement, the Chennai-based Additional Commissioner will oversee the North Zone, comprising Chennai and several northern and western districts, including Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Salem, Erode and Coimbatore. The Tiruchy-based officer will administer the South Zone, which includes Thanjavur, Madurai, Sivaganga, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi.