MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Thursday sought a report from the Dindigul revenue authorities on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed seeking direction to protect a parcel of land belonging to the Kaliamman temple in Perumalkovilpatti village in Dindigul.
Litigant C Nagarajan, secretary of the Kaliamman Temple Committee, accused the Christian Vanniyars of the village of attempting to encroach on the land, which is registered under the name of the temple where members of the Hindu Vanniyar community offer worship. Despite sending several representations, the revenue authorities, who are supposed to protect temple property, have not taken any step to fence the land, he claimed. The stones installed by the Hindu Vanniyars for fencing were also removed by the members of the Christian community, he alleged.
Claiming that the same attitude is shown by authorities to similar attempts being made in other temples in the Ambathurai panchayat, which comprises Perumalkovilpatti, the petitioner sought a direction to the authorities to fence and protect the land.
A bench of justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan directed the authorities to find out if there is any encroachment on the temple land, and, if yes, what action was taken to remove it. Tagged along with a connected appeal, the case was adjourned to February 19.
It could be recalled that the village witnessed a similar controversy during the Karthigai Deepam festival last year, when the court had directed the reopening of Mandu Karuppasamy temple, which is located in the same survey number as the above temple land. The temple had been closed and barricaded due to the above land dispute. The court, based on a petition filed by one V Sithan Balraj, had directed the reopening and lighting of Karthigai Deepam at the temple on December 2, 2025, but the collector, apprehending unrest, passed a prohibitory order. While a contempt petition is pending in this regard, the above division bench stayed the order to reopen the Mandu Karuppasamy temple on December 19.