Palani temple land row: 4 held amid High Court plea for CBI probe

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 action follows a case filed in the High Court seeking a CBI probe, alleging inaction by CB-CID and noting that no arrests had been made when the petition was filed.

The arrested have been identified as Murugadas (56) of Villupuram district, who allegedly sold the land using forged documents; Vellaithurai (60) of Papankulam in Tirupur district and Sethupathi (72) of Pudur in Palani, who allegedly purchased the property; and advocate Anvardheen (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 KSN 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 he expressed apprehension about the fairness of the probe, as the allegations involve sitting 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 officials interrogated the four accused at the Dindigul office in the morning hours. After the interrogation, the police produced them before the Judicial Magistrate Court I, Dindigul. The magistrate remanded them in judicial custody until 12th August 2026. They were later lodged at the Madurai Central Prison.

The case pertains to the alleged fraudulent registration of the mutt's land on Sannathi Street in Palani for Rs 2 crore using forged documents. 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, charging them with 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 daily at the CB-CID office in Dindigul 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 had donated the land by gift deed to one Dhandapani Swamy in 1888 (with the objective of establishing a mutt), appeared before the CB-CID office in Dindigul on Tuesday evening in response to summons.

Sundari, her son Vishnu Sudarsan and daughter Jayalakshmi submitted the original title deed and other documents in their possession.

The police are also searching for a land broker and document writer from Oddanchatram who is suspected of being involved in the alleged fraud.