Kamatchiamman temple land recovered in Puducherry, handed over to temple trust as per High Court order

As per the directions of the Madras High Court, the district administration on Friday took possession of the illegally occupied land belonging to the Kamatchiamman Temple at Rainbow Nagar and handed over the property to the temple trust.

Last month, while disposing a petition on grabbing of the land belonging to the temple, Justice S.M. Subramaniam had directed the government to take possession of the property in entirety and hand over the same to the trust.

Based on the order, a team of Revenue officials, led by District Registrar M. Kandasamy, visited the property on Friday and after completing the procedures handed over the property to the trustees in the presence of Sivasankaran, Commissioner ofHindu Religious Institutions.

“The temple trust has taken possession of the land as per the court direction. There are two buildings on the vacant land and we have asked them to vacate the premises immediately. Now, the temple land belongs to the trust and there are no claimants for the property,” Mr. Kandasamy told The Hindu.

The CB-CID launched a probe in 2022 after registering a case under Sections 120 (b), 465, 467, 468, 471, 420 of Indian Penal Code following a complaint of illegal occupation. Seventeen persons, including senior government officials, have been arrested so far for their involvement in connection with the illegal occupation of the temple property.

Direction to MLAs

The court, while disposing the petition last month, had directed two BJP MLAs A. John Kumar and his son Richards John Kumar to cooperate with the CB-CID following allegation against them of having grabbed the temple property. “People’s representatives are expected to be truthful and trustworthy public servants and strive hard for the uplift of the people of their constituency and to uphold the constitutional principles.

With temple property being public property, it has to be protected by the MLAs and thus this court is of the considered opinion that in all fairness and with commitments, the two MLAs should hand over the vacant possession of the land in question to the temple immediately to establish their fairness and bonafides as elected Members of the Legislative Assembly under the Constitution and subject themselves for criminal investigation already undertaken by the CB-CID,” the order has said.

A source in the police said the administration had now taken over the property. “The investigation is on and we will go into the bottom of the case as directed by the court. The procedures will be followed in due course,” said an official.