CHENNAI: Refusing to interfere with the appointment of the Fit Person/thakkar to the Masaniamman temple at Anaimalai in Coimbatore’s Pollachi, the Madras High Court recently directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department to speed up the process for appointment of the temple trustees.
In his petition, P Bhaskar of Vandalur near Chennai sought a HR&CE department order dated January 14, 2026, towards appointment of the Fit Person to the temple to be quashed. He also sought to restrain the Fit Person from utilising the surplus fund running to Rs 100 crore and alienating any property of the temple.
Disposing of the petition, the first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan opined that the petitioner’s apprehension is without material to substantiate it and hence cannot be entertained.
“We make it clear that the respondent authorities shall ensure that the provisions of the (HR&CE) Act are strictly adhered to before taking any decision with regard to utilisation of the temple funds,” the bench added.
Senior counsel A Shunmugasundaram, representing the department, submitted that the notification for trustee appointment posts has already been issued and that applications have been scrutinised. The appointment of trustees will be made once the elections are over, he said.