Palani temple land fraud: No known links to ministers, probe must trace scam to its roots, says CPM

CHENNAI: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Monday (July 20) demanded the arrest of all those involved in the alleged fraudulent registration of land belonging to the Palani temple, describing it as a "major fraud" involving officials at multiple levels.

Speaking to reporters at the CPI (ML) office in Ambattur, Shanmugam said information that has emerged so far indicated that officials of the Registration Department and influential persons were involved in the alleged fraud.

He alleged that those behind the registration had even misled the courts by failing to disclose pending cases related to the property during the registration process. "This can be described as one of the biggest frauds to have taken place in Tamil Nadu," he said.

Shanmugam said the case has been transferred to the CB-CID and stressed that the investigation should be conducted fairly and impartially. He demanded that everyone involved, irrespective of their position or influence, be arrested, prosecuted and punished under the law.

Responding to a question on whether the incident should be termed "corruption" or "fraud", Shanmugam said there was no evidence so far to directly link the present government or its ministers to the alleged irregularities.

He, however, alleged that the fraud appeared to have been carried out by Registration Department officials, who, he claimed, manipulated the registration process by deploying officials of their choosing. "What has emerged so far points to a coordinated fraud by officials. Appropriate action should be taken against all those responsible," he said.