SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2022 Supreme(Mad) 2850

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
M. NIRMAL KUMAR, J.
Thillai Raja - Appellant
Versus
The Commissioner, Chennai & Others - Respondent
W.P. (MD) No. 17905 of 2022 & W.M.P. (MD). No. 13057 of 2022
Decided On : 12-08-2022

Advocates appeared:
For the Petitioner:M.S. Jeyakarthik, Advocate. For the Respondents: R1 to R2, M. Lingadurai, Special Government Pleader, R3, V.R. Shanmuganathan, Standing Counsel.

The central legal point established in the judgment is the petitioner's right to file a revision under Section 21 of the Act and the court's directive for the petitioner to inform the authorities about the status of the revision within three weeks.

Headnote:

Mandamus - Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act - Section 21 - 79 - Writ Petition filed to forbear respondents from initiating action in furtherance of impugned order - Summary of Acts and Sections: The court discussed the petitioner's right to file a revision under Section 21 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959, and the impugned order declaring the petitioner as an encroacher under Section 79. The court directed the petitioner to file a revision within three weeks and inform the authorities, failing which the impugned order would be executed.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner sought to forbear the respondents from taking action based on an order declaring the petitioner as an encroacher of temple property. The petitioner's father was a leaseholder of the property and after his demise, the temple authorities proceeded against the petitioner. The court had previously set aside the impugned order and directed the case to be remitted back to the second respondent.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the petitioner had put up a construction without permission and was running a lodge on the temple property, thus violating the lease condition. However, the court directed the petitioner to file a revision within three weeks and inform the authorities, failing which the impugned order would be executed.

Issues: The issues revolved around the petitioner's right to file a revision under Section 21 of the Act, the alleged encroachment of temple property, and the petitioner's entitlement to seek legal remedy.

Ratio Decidendi: The court's decision was based on the petitioner's right to file a revision under Section 21 of the Act and the directive to inform the authorities about the status of the revision within three weeks.

Final Decision: The Writ Petition was disposed of with the direction for the petitioner to file a revision within three weeks and inform the authorities, failing which the impugned order would be executed. No costs were awarded, and the connected writ miscellaneous petition was closed.

JUDGMENT

(Prayer: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a Writ of Mandamus, forbearing the respondents and their officials from initiating any action in furtherance of the second respondent proceedings in M.P.No.7 of 2009 dated 26.07.2022, during the statutory period for preferring revision before the first respondent u/s 21 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959.)

1.This Writ Petition has been filed to forbear the respondents and their officials from initiating any action in furtherance of the second respondent proceedings in M.P.No.7 of 2009 dated 26.07.2022, during the statutory period for preferring revision before the first respondent under Section 21 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act').

2. Mr.M.Lingadurai, learned Special Government Pleader takes notice for the respondents 1 and 2 and Mr.V.R.Shanmuganathan, learned Standing Counsel takes notice for the third respondent. By consent, this Writ Petition is taken up for final disposal at the admission stage itself.

3. The contention of the petitioner is that the second respondent had passed an order in M.P.No.7 of 2009, dated 26.07.2022, declaring the petitioner as encroacher of the temple property and given direction to the Assistant Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Tirunelveli, under Section 79 of the Act to take service of Police and revenue authorities and remove the petitioner from the temple property. The petitioner's father was a lease holder of the property in Survey No.909/2 situated in V.K.Puram Village, Papanasam, Tirunelveli District, from the year 1990. The petitioner's father had paid the lease rent without any default till 2009. In the year 2009, the fourth respondent asked the petitioner's father to vacate the premises. Thereafter, a proceedings has been initiated under Section 78 of the Act. In the meanwhile, on 05.03.2017, the petitioner's father passed away. Despite the same, the temple authorities proceeded further against the petitioner's father. Thereafter, the petitioner had approached this Court by way of filing a Writ Petition in W.P.(MD)No.6084 of 2022, challenging the order passed in M.P.No.7 of 2009 by the second respondent. This Court by considering the petitioner's submission has set aside the impugned order and remitted back the case to the second respondent to pass a fresh order by impleading the petitioner's mother and sister as respondents in M.P.No.7 of 2009. Therefore, the petitioner and his family members were impleaded as parties. Thereafter, the present impugned order came to be passed.

4. The further contention of the petitioner is that it is a remote area and in the agricultural land, a small portion of construction has been put up for the purpose of storing fertilizers, seeds and other articles. This has been wrongly construed that the petitioner put up a construction and letting out for earning. Admittedly, the petitioner is not a defaulter and he has regularly been paying lease rent without fail. From the year 2009, when the petitioner attempted to pay the lease rent, the same has been refused to receive and thereafter, declaring the petitioner as encroacher, the impugned order came to be passed on 26.07.2022 and the same was received by the petitioner on 27.07.2022. The petitioner has right to file a revision before the first respondent, within a period of three months. Even before the expiry of three months, this impugned order has been passed to evict the petitioner. The limited prayer is that till the petitioner files an appeal, the impugned order to be kept in abeyance.

5. The learned Special Government Pleader appearing for the respondents 1 and 2 submitted that the petitioner's father was a lessee. After the demise of the petitioner's father, the petitioner is using the said land and put up a construction and he is running a lodge in the name of Thillai. He furt

Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top