CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed that people, irrespective of caste, creed or colour, be permitted to participate in the Kumbabishekam of temples at Sathanur village in Perambalur district on October 25.

The order was passed on a petition filed by Mahendran, president of Sri Madura Kaliyamman Public Charitable Trust, seeking police protection for the Kumbabishekam of temples managed by the trust.

The trust manages Sri Madura Kaliyamman Temple, Sri Karuppanna Swamy Temple, Sri Periyasamy Temple and Parivara Thevathai Temple at Sathanur. According to the petitioner, the trust began construction of these temples in 2018, and the works were nearing completion. The trust proposed to conduct the Kumbabishekam on October 25.

The petitioner said he had submitted a representation to the Perambalur Superintendent of Police seeking protection for the ceremonies, but it was not considered, prompting him to approach the High Court.

When the matter came up before Justice V Lakshminarayanan, the counsel appearing for the police submitted that residents have been opposing the ceremony because construction is yet to be completed.

The respondents also alleged that the petitioners were seeking to exclude members of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities from participating in the function. They contended that the request for police protection was intended to use the police force to prevent members of communities other than that of the petitioners from participating in the ceremony.

The court directed the Inspector/Fit Person of Arulmigu Karuppaiyaswamy Temple to inspect the temple and submit a report to the Inspector of Police on whether its construction had been completed in all respects.

Ordering police protection for the Kumbabishekam slated on October 25, the Court also made it clear that people of all castes, creeds or colours should be permitted to participate in the function. The court disposed of the criminal writ petition with these directions.