NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain an appeal against the Madras High Court’s verdict allowing the Tamil Nadu government to utilise Sri Somanathaswamy Temple’s land on lease for building a government college in Kolathur in Chennai.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta rejected a petition filed by TR Ramesh against the HC’s division bench judgment of February 20, 2025.
The issue of use of temple land by the state for building educational institutes in Tamil Nadu has been a political ‘hot potato’, with the DMK government defending the move and opposition parties slamming the government for allegedly misusing temple funds and resources gifted by the faithful for non-religious activities. Chief Minister MK Stalin is the legislator of the Kolathur Assembly seat where the college is proposed to be built.
The Madras HC bench in October 2024 had upheld a single judge’s order which stated that the proposed long-term lease of 2.50 acres of land belonging to Sri Somanathaswamy Temple in Kolathur to Sri Kapaliswarar Temple in Mylapore for 25 years to establish an arts and science college was meant for running a college and, thus, the object being a benevolent one, the petitioner can submit his written objections or suggestions against such proposed lease before the Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
The petitioner, Ramesh, had challenged the HR&CE commissioner’s notification issued on September 3, 2024.
‘HR&CE notification didn’t provide any details on rent fixed on land belonging to Sri Somanathaswamy temple’
The petitioner claimed that it was done in violation of Section 34 of the TN HR&CE Act, 1959 and Rule 2 of Alienation of Immovable Trust Property Rules, 1960.
After hearing senior advocates Haripriya Padmanabhan and Jaydeep Gupta for the petitioner and the respondents, respectively, the bench said, “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment/order of the High Court.
Accordingly, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed.” In its plea, the petitioner contended that the notification did not provide any details regarding the amount of rent fixed or the manner in which the rent would be utilized for the benefit of the Sri Somanathaswamy Temple.
The petitioner had said that the impugned notification was not in accordance with the seven rules prescribed in the GO (Ms No 866) dated February 15, 1960.
Min welcomes order
Chennai: HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu on Friday thanked the SC for dismissing the plea. After the DMK government assumed office, as many as 3,503 temples have been consecrated, and the number may go up to 4,000 by January 2026, he said