MADURAI: A Sub-Registrar accused in an alleged fraudulent registration of Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple Trust property approached the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday seeking anticipatory bail, contending that he had merely complied with an earlier High Court direction to register the sale deed and had no role in the alleged conspiracy.

The petitioner, Justin Manikandan Subramanian, through his counsel, submitted that he was a Sub-Registrar and was on duty at the Joint-II SRO Office, Palani, on July 6, 2026. Initially, the Sub-Registrar's office issued a refusal check slip refusing to register the sale deed in view of the pendency of certain civil suits.

However, the purchasers challenged the refusal check slip before the Madurai Bench. The court, in its earlier order passed on April 10, 2026, quashed the refusal check slip and directed the registration of the property within one week.

Hence, as the petitioner completed the registration process based on the court's order. Subramanian claimed that he was in no way connected with the said occurrence and that his role was limited only to the registration of the document and nothing more.

The counsel also submitted that the petitioner had been serving in the department for 25 years, had no criminal antecedents, and was willing to cooperate with the investigation.

The prosecution claimed that the property belonging to the trust was fraudulently sold and that the petitioner, being the Sub-Registrar on the day of registration, allegedly conspired with the other accused and registered the document.

The court posted the case for hearing in the evening.