Madras High Court restrains registration of Srirangam temple land documents

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has restrained registration authorities from registering documents relating to lands covered by an 1887 deed dedicating properties to the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam.

A Division Bench of Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel passed the interim order in a petition filed by A Sampathkumar seeking protection of the properties covered by Document No. 1646 of 1887.

The court observed that the deed showed the absolute dedication of the lands mentioned in its schedule to the temple. The petitioner has sought comprehensive identification and verification of the properties, alleging that some of the lands may have been alienated or otherwise dealt with contrary to the terms of the endowment.

He has also sought directions to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and temple authorities to verify the properties against the original deed and relevant revenue and registration records, and to initiate appropriate legal action if unauthorised transactions are established.

The interim injunction restraining the Sub-Registrars of Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli Joint III, Musiri and Kulithalai from registering documents relating to the scheduled properties will remain in force until November 5, 2026, when the case is to be heard again.