Madras HC names 8 top officials in Karur temple land contempt case

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has impleaded eight senior government officials, including the Secretaries to the Revenue and Home Departments, in a contempt petition over the failure to act on alleged encroachments of temple properties in Karur.

The division bench of Justices P Velmurugan and KK Ramakrishnan also directed HR&CE Commissioner TG Vinay to appear before it on November 5 and file a status report.

On a petition filed by A Radhakrishnan over alleged encroachment of properties belonging to the Arulmigu Kalyana Pasupatheeswarar temple at Karur, the Madurai Bench, in an order dated November 15, 2022, directed the authority concerned to issue notices to all parties said to own the properties and consider their objections. If the authority found them to be encroachers, it was to remove them by following due process after a hearing, and complete the exercise within 12 weeks.

Highlighting that proceedings had been initiated under Section 78 of the HR&CE Act and orders passed in 2022, but appeals against them had remained pending before the HR&CE Commissioner for more than two years, the Court observed that nothing has materialised despite its direction.

The Court therefore impleaded the following as respondents suo motu: KS Palanisamy, Secretary to the Government for the Revenue Department; A Karthick, Secretary to the Government for the Home Department; V Rajaraman, Secretary to the Government for Tourism, Culture and Endowments Departments; B Chandhramohan, Commissioner of Revenue Administration; Rakesh Lakhoni, Commissioner of Land Administration; TG Vinay, Commissioner, HR&CE Department; V Balakrishnan, Inspector General of Police, Central Zone, Tiruchy; and Karur District Collector C Muthukumaran.