A case has emerged involving the alleged fraudulent takeover of 1.79 acres of land belonging to a charitable trust associated with the famous Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.
The land is estimated to be worth around ₹60 crore. The Madurai City Central Crime Branch (CCB) has registered an FIR against 19 people in connection with the case.
The accused have allegedly conspired to take control of the land through fraudulent transfers, registrations, and mortgage deals.
The action was taken following a complaint by Selladurai, the temple’s Joint Commissioner and Executive Officer, along with the anti-corruption organisation ‘Arappor Iyakkam’.
1930 will prohibited sale of land
According to the complaint, a will was registered in 1930 at the Saidapet Sub-Registrar’s office. It stated that the Ashok Vilas bungalow and its adjoining garden on Alagar Kovil Road belonged to the charitable trust created for the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and Alagar Temple.
The will allowed only the leasing of the land and completely prohibited its sale, mortgage, or transfer of ownership.
Tehsildar accused of helping in land grabbing
The case alleges that on June 24, 2016, then Madurai North Tehsildar Anbazhagan removed the temple’s ownership details from government records. He allegedly transferred the land lease rights to nine people illegally.
Later, the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) cancelled the Tehsildar’s order and directed that the lease be restored in the temple’s name, stating that the land belonged to the temple trust.
A case related to the matter is also pending before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, which has issued an interim stay.
Mortgage deed created despite court order
The FIR alleges that despite the court order, a General Power of Attorney (GPA) was registered on April 16, 2021, at the Murappanadu Sub-Registrar’s office in Thoothukudi district with the alleged assistance of then Sub-Registrar Anantharaman.
Based on this, a mortgage deed was allegedly registered on July 19, 2021, at the Vada Madurai Sub-Registrar’s office in Dindigul district through then Sub-Registrar Prashanth Santhan Karuppan.
Investigators said that despite legal restrictions, the accused allegedly colluded to take control of the temple land through fraudulent patta transfers and mortgage transactions.
The CCB has registered a case under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway.
