Shops around temples to be removed by December 31

Justice V. Bharathidasan of Madurai Bench passing orders at the principle seat on a batch of over 200 writ petitions from petty shop owners challenging the eviction notice said “This Court is of the firm view that the authorities in the instant cases were right in issuing notice to the petitioners for eviction irrespective of the fact whether the lessees carry on their business, either inside or outside the temple, and this does not find any illegality or irregularity in the same warranting interference.”

“Since all these petitioners have been in possession of the lease-hold areas for a long number of years and in the prevailing situation it is very difficult for them to find out a suitable private accommodation near by the temples immediately, this court is of the view that the petitioners should be given some breathing time enabling them to find out suitable alternative place to carry on their business. Considering the above fact, petitioners shall be permitted to occupy their respective leased premises until December 31, 2018,” the judge added.

Following the fire accident at Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on February 12 had evolved a policy decision to protect and safeguard the temples. Based on this, the HR&CE, Commissioner, had issued a circular on February 14 directing all the temple Executive Officers (EO’s) to take precautionary measures to protect the temples from any fire accident. The EO’s of respective temples issued eviction notices directing the lessees to vacate the shops and hand over possession to the temples immediately.

The judge in his 65-page order also noted “Considering the facts of the instant cases and in larger public interest, this court is of the view that in order to protect these temples from disfigurement or destruction at the hands of the petitioners who are all carrying on commercial activities either inside the temple premises or outside the temple abutting the compound wall or at a distance from the temple premises, the eviction of the petitioners is necessary.”

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, on Monday, directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a counter for the petition seeking CBI inquiry in the Meenakshi Amman Temple fire accident case. The petitioner, Sudalaimani, Secretary, Hindu Temples Protection Committee, in his petition, stated that because of the terrorist threat to the temple, heavy security had been provided to the temple. But on the night on February 2 there was a fire in which 7000 square feet of Veera Vasantha Rayar Mandapam got damaged. The High Court should transfer the case to CBI to bring the real truth behind the incident, pleaded the petitioner.