##PAGE1##

W.P.(MD)No.35521 of 2025

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

DATED: 29.01.2026

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE DR.JUSTICE G. JAYACHANDRAN

AND

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE K.K. RAMAKRISHNAN

W.P.(MD)No.35521 of 2025

Karthick Kannan ... Petitioner

Vs.

1.The State of Tamil Nadu Rep by its:

The Chief Secretary,

Tourism, Culture & Hindu Religious and Charitable

Endowments Department,

Secretariat, Chennai-600 009.

2.The Commissioner,

Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department,

119, Uthamar Gandhi Salai,

Nungambakkam, Chennai-600 034.

3.The joint Commissioner,

HR &CE Department, Nagercoil,

Kanniyakumari District.

4.The Executive Officer,

Sri Thanumalayan Temple,

Suchindram, Kanniyakumari District.

5.The Director,

Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department,

Tamil Valarchi Valagam,

1/8

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 12/02/2026 06:43:09 pm )

W.P.(MD)No.35521 of 2025

Tamil Salai,

Egmore, Chennai-600 008.

6.The District Collector,

Kanniyakumari District,

Collectorate, Nagercoil-629 001.

7.The Superintendent of Police,

Kanniyakumari District,

Office of the Superintendent of Police,

Nagercoil-629 001.

8.Mr.Sanjay ... Respondents

PRAYER:- Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of

India, to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 1 to 7 to

constitute a Heritage Expert Committee consisting of Tamil Nadu

Archaeology Dept., HR & CE Heritage Wing, IIT/Anna University Civil

Heritage Engineers, and District authorities to scientifically assess and

restore the Suchindram Sri Thanumalayan Temple Teppakulam to its

original 14^th Century design and consider and dispose of the petitioner's

representation dated 18.11.2025 to the respondents within the time limit

that may be stipulated by this Court.

For Petitioner : Mr.W.Cleetus

For R1,R2,5&6 : Mr.P.Thilak Kumar, Govt., Pleader

For R3 to R4 : Mr.R.Shankar Ganesh

For R7 : Mr.K.Gnanasekaran

Govt, Advocate (Crl.side)

2/8

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 12/02/2026 06:43:09 pm )

W.P.(MD)No.35521 of 2025

ORDER

(Order of the Court was made by DR.G.JAYACHANDRAN, J.)

Alleging that under the guise of renovation of Temple Tank, the

Temple Tank is being damaged, the present writ petition is filed.

2.This Court, after pursuing the averments made in the

affidavit, passed the following order, dated 11.12.2025:

“Public Interest Litigation filed being aggrieved

by the act of the respondents in damaging the 14th century

Teppakulam (Temple tank) at Suchindram Sri

Thanumalayan Temple under the guise of renovation.

2.According to the writ petitioner, the HR&CE

Department, under the guise of renovating the Teppakulam

had engaged a Contractor to remove the ancient stones and

damaged wall unmindful of the Heritage Protection Law.

Though it was assured by the respondents that damaged

portion of the Teppakulam will be restored, no action so far

has been taken and therefore, a representation dated

18.11.2025 was given to the respondents for appropriate

action including constituting an expert committee in

consultation with Engineers so as to restore the originality

of the Teppakulam.

3.The learned standing counsel for the

respondents 3 and 4, namely, Joint Commissioner and

3/8

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 12/02/2026 06:43:09 pm )

W.P.(MD)No.35521 of 2025

Executive Officer, HR&CE Department, submitted that the

Joint Commissioner has submitted a report to the District

Collector stating that Teppakulam wall got damaged during

the course of de-silting and thereafter expert committee has

been constituted and the report is awaited. On receipt of the

expert committee report, necessary estimation will be

prepared and the Teppakulam will be restored.

4.From the records, we find that on 28.09.2024,

tender for renovating the Teppakulam was confirmed and

consequently vide communication dated 12.03.2024, the

Contractor by name Shri Sanjay, Shanti Constructions,

Panchalingapuram, Kanyakumari District was identified as

a Contractor for work estimation of Rs.32,81,174/-. One of

the tender condition is that the renovation work