MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday sought a response from the Madurai police, Subramaniya Swamy temple and the Sikandar Badusha Dargah on a petition which sought a direction to restrain the police from exercising any unilateral control over the Thiruparankundram hill.
The petition was heard by Justice S Srimathy. It was filed by Rama Ravikumar, the same person who had filed the main petition over Thiruparankundram Karthigai Deepam issue. Ravikumar recalled the incidents surrounding the deepam row, saying the police exhibited sheer high-handedness and did not permit the lighting of Karthigai deepam on the stone pillar (deepathoon) atop the hill.
But the same police gave protection to nearly 30 persons to carry a flagpole to the dargah for the Santhanakoodu festival during midnight hours on December 21, he alleged. As a result, a dargah flag was tied to the ‘Kallathi’ tree, which, he claimed, was a sacred tree situated within the temple-owned property. The temple devasthanam has not taken any steps to regulate or protect access to its property, Ravikumar added.
He requested an interim order restraining any person or group from accessing the hill or carrying out any activity on the devasthanam land, including the pathway from the foothills. He further sought a direction to prevent police from exercising unilateral control over the hill or from facilitating third parties to conduct ‘quasi-religious’ activities on temple property. He also wanted the court to direct the devasthanam to assert and resume its lawful control over the hill, including areas such as the foothills, pathways, Nellithope, among others, by taking immediate measures to safeguard its properties.
Advocate General P S Raman sought time to file a counter affidavit, following which the case was adjourned to January 6.