MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday declared the registration of 1.4 acre land belonging to the Dhandayuthapani Swamy Mutt in Palani as invalid.
A bench of justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel passed the order while allowing an appeal filed by the mutt challenging an order passed by a single judge of the court on April 10, directing the registration authorities to register the sale deed with respect to the land, which was said to be worth Rs 100 crore, in the name of two private individuals.
The bench noted that the mutt was not made a party in the petition before the single judge. The sub registrar concerned also failed to consider the objections made by the mutt, they added. A fraud had been played on the court as well as the registration department, they observed.
The single judge had passed the impugned order on a petition filed by D Sethupathy and K Velladurai, who claimed to have purchased the property from Dhandapani Swamigal Trust, represented by MD Murugadoss. The duo challenged a refusal slip issued by the then sub registrar of Palani taluk on April 1 , refusing to register the sale deed dated March 27, 2026, on the ground that two civil suits were pending in connection with the property.
Since the petitioners’ counsel claimed that the suits were dismissed on September 2, 2025, the single judge had quashed the slip and directed the sub registrar to register the sale deed within a week if the document was otherwise in order.
However, the Fit Person of the mutt challenged the order stating that the single judge ought to have heard them before passing the order as they were a party in the civil suit. Moreover, the sale deed was executed on March 27 between the parties as if the property of a private trust is being sold, the official further alleged.
The sub-registrar also failed to inform the single judge regarding the pendency of a petition filed by the mutt against the registration department seeking not to entertain any document relating to the above property, the fit person added.
Investigation handed over to CB-CID, says DGP
Chennai: The probe into the alleged fraudulent registration of a 1.4-acre land parcel belonging to the Dhandayudapani Swami Mutt in Palani has been transferred to the Crime Branch-CID (CB-CID) from the Palani Adivaram Police Station, with DGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal issuing orders to this effect on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, reacting to the high court order declaring the registration of 1.4 acres of Palani temple land as invalid, HR&CE Minister S Ramesh said, in his post on X said that despite attempts by certain vested interests to spread false allegations against the state government and him personally, truth has prevailed.
