File counter to PIL challenging decision to lift ban on registration of ‘temple land’, HC tells T.N. govt.
The Madras High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu government to respond to a petition challenging the de-freezing of land registration for over 3,000 acres of temple-owned property in Karur. The petitioner alleges that the unblocking of these lands facilitates illegal alienation without proper regulatory sanction.
Why it matters
The case touches on the complex intersection of historical land rights, religious institution management, and government regulatory oversight.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to file a counter-affidavit to a public interest litigation petition that challenged the decision to lift the ban on registration of 3,085 acres of ‘temple land’ in Karur district.
A Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel was hearing the petition filed by A. Radhakrishnan of Salem, who said he was a devotee of Balasubramaniya Swamy, Kalyana Pasupatheeswarar Swamy, Ravishwarar Swamy, and Vikrutheswarar Swamy in Karur district.
The petitioner said the authorities had directed the Registration Department to ‘unblock’ (de-freeze) the prohibitory module for lands measuring 3,084.95 acres across 15 villages in Karur district. These lands were previously blocked (in 2008 and 2015) to prevent unlawful alienation.
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