MADURAI: A vacation bench of the Madurai Bench of Madras HC on Wednesday ordered status quo against the construction works being carried out near the Main Falls in Courtallam in Tenkasi district. The court gave the direction while hearing a PIL which alleged that the works have damaged rock-cut idols and sculptures in the area.
The litigant, Rama Ravikumar of Madurai, alleged that during his recent visit to the Kutralanathaswamy temple in Tenkasi, he found workers engaged by the water resources department for some renovation and development works damaging and removing the rock-cut sculptures and stone idols situated near the temple. Though both the temple and the falls date back to the 8th century, the works were being carried out by unskilled labourers who have no archeological expertise, adding that the removed idols may be misappropriated. He also pointed out that the area comes under the reserve forest and therefore, the above activities amount to violation of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 as well. A bench of justices P Velmurugan and C Kumarappan, who heard the plea, issued notice to the authorities concerned and directed them to file a counter affidavit in a month.