Excommunicating any person from participating in a temple festival constitutes an act of discrimination and is prohibited.

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W.P.(MD)No.10456 of 2024

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

DATED : 03.03.2026

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE L.VICTORIA GOWRI

W.P.(MD)No.10456 of 2024

& W.M.P.(MD)No.9407 of 2024

1.J.Yoga Sanmugasundaram

2.S.Rengasamy

3.S.Subramanian ... Petitioners

Vs.

1. The District Collector ,

Collectorate,

Pudukkottai and District.

2. The Superintendent of Police,

Pudukkottai and District.

3. The Revenue Divisional Officer,

Revenue Divisional Office,

Pudukkottai and District.

4. The Thasildar,

Taluk Office,

Aranthangi Taluk,

Pudukkottai District.

5. The Inspector of Police,

Aranthangi Police Station,

Aranthangi Taluk,

Pudukkotai District.

6. Suresh

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W.P.(MD)No.10456 of 2024

7. The Assistant Commissioner,

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department,

Pudukkottai District. ... Respondents

(R7 is Suo Motu Impleaded Vide Order Dated.29.04.2024.) .

PRAYER : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for

issuance of Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 1 to 5 to take

appropriate action against the 6^th respondent and his men for the

excommunicating the petitioners' family from the village and take steps to

receive “Thalaikattu Vari” from the petitioners' families for the temple festival

of Arulmighu Muthumari Amman and other temples situate in Pachalur village,

Kulathur Post, Aranthangi Taluk, Pudukkottai District for this year and also in

future, by considering the petitioners' representation dated 10.04.2024.

For Petitioners : Mr.R.Paranjothi

For Respondents : Mr.S.Ravi (R2 & R5)

Additional Public Prosecutor

Mr.M.Muthumanickam (R1, R3 & R4)

Government Advocate

Mr.VR.Shanmuganathan (R6)

ORDER

This writ petition has been filed seeking for a direction to the

respondents 1 to 5 to take appropriate action against the 6^th respondent and his

men for excommunicating the petitioners' family from the village and take steps

to receive “Thalaikattu Vari” from the petitioners' family for the temple festival

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W.P.(MD)No.10456 of 2024

of Arulmighu Muthumari Amman and other temples situate in Pachalur village,

Kulathur Post, Aranthangi Taluk, Pudukkottai District for this year and also in

future, by considering the petitioners' representation dated 10.04.2024.

2. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that the

sixth respondent is the person, who had announced himself as a self styled

village headman and he had gone to the extent of excommunicating the

petitioners' family by not receiving Thalaikattu Vari from the petitioners' family

and in this regard, the petitioners have already made a representation dated

10.04.2024. However, the representation was not heeded to by the official

respondents. Hence, this petition came to be filed.

3. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for R2 & R5

submitted that already the temple festival is over and the representation is also

of the year 2024.

4. The learned counsel appearing for the sixth respondent submitted that

there is no excommunication at all. Due to indifference between two groups in

the temple administration, a peace committee meeting was conducted by the 3^rd

respondent on 14.08.2023. Since no compromise was arrived between the two

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W.P.(MD)No.10456 of 2024

groups during the said meeting, both the parties were directed to approach

appropriate Court of law seeking for further remedy.

5. Heard the learned counsel on either side and carefully perused the

materials available on record.

6. It is made clear that act of excommunica