DINDIGUL: The CBCID (Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department) which is investigating the illegal registration of Palani temple land case has made its first arrest on Wednesday. The CBCID arrested three persons in connection with the illegal registration of 1.4 acres of land belonging to the Arulmigu Dhandapani Swamigal Mutt under the control of HR&CE department at the foothills of Palani in Dindigul. Police have also secured one more person and enquiring him.
According to a police source, CB-CID has arrested three persons linked to the fraudulent registration of 1.4 acres of land in Palani after several rounds of questioning. The individuals arrested include K Vellaithurai (60), from Madathukulam Taluk in Tiruppur District; S Anwardeen (65), from Goundankulam in Palani, Dindigul District; and D Murugadas (56) from Salamedu, Villupuram District. Vellaithurai is identified as one of the buyers, Murugadas as the seller, and Anwardeen as the broker facilitating the entire transaction. Police have also questioning Sethupathi, one of the individual who bought the land.
A case was registered against them, under BNS sections 318(4), 336(3), 340(2), 49, and 61(2). CB-CID police has been questioning various persons including Sub-Registrar Justin Manikandan, who has been placed under suspension, in relation to the case and has already conducted searches at the residence of the suspended Sub-Registrar. It should be noted that Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) on July 16 began its probe into the fraudulent registration.
Earlier, top officials from the HRCE Department filed a complaint with Palani Adivaram police station regarding the sale of a 1.40-acre land owned by Dhandapani Swami Mutt in Palani on July 13. They mentioned that land was reportedly sold to two private individuals - Sethupathi and Vellaithurai, despite several objects from the HR & CE department. They also stated the land, valued at over Rs 100 crores, was officially linked to the HR&CE Department on September 25 and was temporarily used as a parking lot for devotees visiting the Lord Dhandayudapani Temple in Palani. The complaint alleged that the D Murugadas of former Trustee of Dhandapani Swami Mutt - Dhandapani Ayya, collaborated with Sub Registrar Justin Manikandan to facilitate this sale. The probe was later handed over to CB-CID.
Meanwhile the legal heirs of Kuppusamy Maniyakar from Thanjavur — the original owner of the land in 1880 — have appeared in person at the CB-CID office in Dindigul. One of the legal heirs - Sundari, along with her son Vishnu Sudarshan and daughter Jayalakshmi, submitted authentic documents dating from 1880 and explained the nature of ownership to the CB-CID police that the land in question belongs solely to their family. Besides, they are also planning to contest as a party to the ongoing ownership issue of this land.