Back
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
P.VELMURUGAN, B.PUGALENDHI
A.Radhakrishnan – Appellant
Versus
P.Madhusudhanreddy, I.A.S., Commissioner of Survey and Settlement, Chepauk, Chennai – Respondent
ORDER :
“The lands of the Lords are in trouble!! Even Gods and Lords are not spared. The temples in Tamil Nadu are historic symbols of Tamil history and they are the properties of the community as a whole. But God's money is robbed by the notorious society …”
— Observations of the First Bench of this Court in WP.No.1972 of 2015, dated 29.02.2016.
2.The Government of Tamil Nadu, in its Policy Notes of the HR and CE Department, has recorded a steady decline in the extent of temple lands — from 5.25 lakh acres in 1986–87 to 4.90 lakh acres in 2000–01, to 4.79 lakh acres in 2002–03 and to 4.78 lakh acres in 2008–09. Temple lands are not commercial assets of the State. They are sacred endowments made by generations of devotees with a definite object to sustain religious worship and charitable services. If endowed properties diminish year after year, it is not a mere clerical anomaly, but reflects systemic erosion.
3.The anguished observations of the First Bench in 2016 continue to resonate. The present case stands as yet another example where lands standing in the name of a deity in revenue records are allowed to remain under encroachment for years together, while administrative responses o
The court emphasized the imperative of enforcing judicial orders to recover encroached temple lands, highlighting systemic administrative failure and underscoring that compliance with court directive....
The HR & CE Department has jurisdiction to enforce rent collection from property tenants, and appellants’ claims of ownership without evidence fail to substantiate their appeal.
Civil Revision Petitions under Article 227 directed the trial court to expedite injunction applications regarding temple property disputes, emphasizing lawful eviction processes and maintenance of st....
The Court reaffirmed that temple lands and funds must only be used for religious purposes, asserting the government's lack of authority to misuse such properties under the Hindu Religious and Charita....
The court affirmed that a temple, having established its title through civil court decrees, is entitled to police protection to enforce its rights against unlawful eviction attempts by others.
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
Scan Me!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :
Back to top
