MADURAI: The City Central Crime Branch (CCB) police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against 19 persons and commenced an investigation based on allegations that 1.79 acres of land worth about Rs 60 crore, belonging to a trust created to serve the Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and Alagarkoil, was illegally transferred through patta mutation, document registration and mortgage.
The case has been registered under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) based on a complaint lodged by Chellathurai, joint commissioner and executive officer of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. A complaint submitted by the anti-corruption organisation Arappor Iyakkam also led to the alleged irregularities coming to light.
According to a will registered in 1930 at the Saidapet sub-registrar's office, the Ashoka Vilas Bungalow and its adjoining garden situated on Alagarkoil Road in Madurai belong to a trust established to render services to the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and Alagarkoil, said a police source.
As per the conditions of the will, the property could only be leased out and could not be sold, mortgaged or transferred.
However, the complaint alleges that on June 24, 2016, former Madurai North Tehsildar Anbalagan illegally removed the temple's ownership from the revenue records and transferred the patta in favour of Ramaayi Ayyar and eight others. Following this, former Village Administrative Officer Arasan was placed under suspension, while departmental action and a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption inquiry were recommended against the former Tehsildar.
Subsequently, the Revenue Divisional Officer cancelled the Tehsildar's order, confirmed that the property belonged to the trust attached to the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and Alagarkoil, and ordered that the patta be restored in the name of the temple. A case relating to the property was also filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, which granted an interim stay.
Despite the court's interim order, the FIR states that a general power of attorney was registered on April 16, 2021, at the Murappanadu sub-registrar's office in Thoothukudi district through sub-registrar Anandaraman. Based on that document, a mortgage deed was subsequently registered on July 19, 2021, at the Vadamadurai sub-registrar's office in Dindigul district by sub-registrar Prashanth Santhana Karuppan.
The FIR, which was registered on 25th July, names 19 persons as accused, including Ramaayi Ayyar, Senthamizh Selvi, Prema, Rajkumar, Muthurani, Rajendran, Kulandhaiya, Pushparaj, Jothi, Geetha, former VAO Arasan, former Tehsildar Anbalagan, Ilayaraja, Anish, Anandaraman, Kavitha, Prakash, Kalikumar and Prashanth Santhana Karuppan.
The accused have been charged with entering into a criminal conspiracy to usurp trust lands belonging to the temple by illegally mutating the patta, registering documents and creating a mortgage in violation of court orders and the provisions of the Registration Act. The Madurai City Central Crime Branch police are conducting a detailed investigation with all those connected to the case.