IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

Reserved on

Pronounced on

28.04.2022

06.06.2022

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.DHANDAPANI

W.P. NOS.6440, 6918, 6445, 4692, 4693, 4908, 7454, 6914,

6909 & 4620 OF 2022

AND

W.M.P. NOS.4811 TO 4816, 5053, 4740, 4741, 6534, 6539,

7460, 7461,

7463, 6948, 6946, 6536, 6541, 4811, 5057, 6532, 5056, 6540,

6950 TO

6954, 6956, 6947 & 4742 OF 2022

Sudheshwaran

..Petitioner in W.P.NO.6440 OF 2022

Vasantha

..Petitioner in W.P.No.6918 of 2022

James ..Petitioner in W.P.No.6445 of 2022

Munirathinam ..Petitioner in W.P.No.4692 of 2022

Rajan Babu ..Petitioner in W.P.No.4693 of 2022

P.Senthilkumar ..Petitioner in W.P.No.4908 of 2022

Dhanaseelan ..Petitioner in W.P.No.7454 of 2022

Suventhiran ..Petitioner in W.P.No.6914 of 2022

Premkumar ..Petitioner in W.P.No.6909 of 2022

Murugan ..Petitioner in W.P.No.4620 of 2022

- Vs -

1. The District Collector

Dharmapuri District

Dharmapuri 636 705.

2. The District Revenue Officer

Dharmapuri District

Dharmapuri 636 705.

3. The Revenue Divisional Officer

Dharmapuri Division

Dharmapuri District

Dharmapuri 636 701.

https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/

4. The Tahsildar

Palacode Taluk

Dharmapuri District

Dharmapuri 636 808.

5. The Village Administrative Officer

Jakkasamudram Village

Palacode Taluk

Dharmapuri Dt. 636 808.

6. The Commissioner

Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments

Uthamar Gandhi Road

Nungambakkam

Chennai 600 034.

7. The Joint Commissioner

Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments

Kottai Mariamman Temple

Salem 636 001.

8. The Assistant Commissioner

Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments

Dharmapuri 636 701.

9. The Executive Officer

Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments

Palacode

Dharmapuri District 636 808.

10. The District Registrar

Dharmapuri District

Dharmapuri 636 701.

...Respondents in All WPs

Common Prayer: Writ Petitions filed under Article 226 of the

Constitution of India praying this Court to issue a writ of

certiorarified mandamus to call for the entire records in

pursuant to the impugned order dated 11.01.2022 on the file of

the 2^nd respondent/District Revenue Officer, Dharmapuri, in

connection with the impugned order of cancellation of patta in

her proceedings in Na.Ka. No.15881/2019/Pa2 dated 11.01.2022 and

quash the same and consequently direct the respondents to issue

patta in the name of the petitioner within the time limit fixed

by this Court.

https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/

For Petitioners: Mr. C.Umashankar (in all Wps)

For Respondents: Mr.P.Sathish, AGP for RR-1 to 5

Mr. N.R.R.Arun Natarajan, Spl. GP

For RR-6 to 9 (in all Wps)

COMMON ORDER

The cancellation of patta, which had been granted in favour

of the respective petitioners upon purchase of the lands from

the legal heirs of the original pattadars, on the premise that

the lands in issue are ‘Devadayam’ lands and that it belongs to

the ‘Arulmighu Adhinarayanaswamy Temple’ passed by the 2^nd

respondent, viz., District Revenue Officer, has been put to test

before this Court in the present batch of writ petitions.

2.The facts leading to the filing of the writ petitions, as

could be culled out from the present petitions, are as under :-

The Government, in exercise of the powers under the Madras

Minor Inams (Abolition & Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, (for

short ‘the Act’), had taken over the lands covered by T.D.

No.543 on 15.2.1965 and as a result of the taking over, the inam

tenure stood extinguished and the lands stood converted into

ryotwari. Since no claim was made with regard to the said lands

on the basis of the Madras Minor Inams (Abolition & Conversion

into Ryotwari) Rules, 1965, suo motu enquiry was initiated by

the Settlement Officer pursuant to which notices were duly

served on th