CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has disqualified the chairman of the trust board of Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswar temple from being a trustee for “usurping the temple property for a paltry Rs 2,000, and shamelessly setting up persons and creating false rent receipts.”
The order was passed by Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy on April 30 on the petitions filed by T S Shankar of Tiruvannamalai alleging illegal occupation of the trust property by the chairman of the trust board, R Jeevanantham, and continuing as the chairman against the rules.
The petitioner accused the chairman of dismantling a 100-year-old heritage building belonging to Kalasanthi Arakkattalai, one of the trusts of the temple, and constructing a building on 1,995 sq ft area after entering into a rental agreement with the trust in 2010.
The land was part of a parcel of 4,400 sq ft. He has been using the space for a rent of Rs 2,000 per month, the petitioner alleged. He had raised the building without obtaining permission from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department or any other departments, by using his political clout as a leader of the ruling party, the petitioner alleged.
Jeevanantham became trustee and the chairman in 2023. He had indulged in foul play to show that he had relinquished occupation of the building since 2013 and the property had stood in the name of one Ganesan, who actually was an employee of his firm, the petition alleged. It said the fact that he has been in continued illegal occupation of the building was reinforced by the report of the secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) who held an inspection as per a direction of the court.
Citing Section 26 (i) of HR&CE Act, the judge said, “The fifth respondent (Jeevanantham) is eminently unfit to hold the office, being disqualified by law; usurping the temple property for a paltry Rs 2,000, shamelessly setting up persons and creating false receipts of rents, running away from the premises on inspection by keeping it under lock and key and with all unfathomable illegalities.”
The court directed the authorities of HR&CE to take immediate action to secure the property in favour of Kalasanthi Arakattalai by “evicting all the unlawful occupants and the property has to be auctioned and leased out in the manner known to law”. It imposed a cost of Rs 20,000 on top officials, including the commissioner of HR&CE.