MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently clarified that candidates and their legal heirs, who filed cases against Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple, should not be treated as ‘disqualified persons’ in the recruitment conducted by the temple.
A bench of justices GR Swaminathan and S Srimathy gave the clarification after it came to know that the temple, in its recruitment notification dated March 1, 2023, had prescribed such a condition. The issue was brought to the court’s notice through a PIL plea filed by S Ravichandran seeking to quash the recruitment notification due to the condition and a few other reasons including reservation and lack of transparency.
The bench refused to accept the case for hearing by noting that it is not a PIL but a service matter. However, it observed that the condition would cause prejudice to the fundamental rights of candidates. “Hence, we make it clear that the candidate, who has filed a case or writ petition against the temple and his legal heirs shall not be treated as disqualified persons,” the judges clarified.