DMK Functionary Booked Over Fraudulent Registration of Temple Land in Tiruchirappalli

Police in Tiruchirappalli have booked a local DMK functionary and five others over the alleged fraudulent registration of land belonging to the Arulmigu Aranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangam.

The case follows a complaint from Sivaramakumar, Joint Commissioner of the temple's management, who alleged that M Ramkumar misused his position in the party that was then in power to register 7,515 square feet of temple land using forged documents.

According to the FIR, the Srirangam temple owns 5 acres and 87 cents, part of which is occupied by a government hospital that pays rent to the temple administration. Land under Survey Number 762 was allegedly transferred to Ramkumar in 2022.

Besides Ramkumar, the FIR names Padma Rengarajan, Vijaya Krishnasamy, R Sowntharrajan, Vengatavaradhan and the sub-registrar of Srirangam at the time.

The complaint states that Padma Rengarajan and Vijaya Krishnasamy sold the 7,515 sq ft to Ramkumar for Rs 1.45 crore, with the registration completed on December 5, 2022. Two days later, Sowntharrajan and Vijaya Krishnasamy registered a sale deed claiming a share in the property, valuing it at Rs 72.5 lakh. On January 19, 2023, Vengatavaradhan similarly registered a sale deed for Rs 72.5 lakh. A correction deed was registered subsequently. The three sale deeds were together valued at Rs 2.9 crore.

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister S Ramesh said the DMK functionary had "cheated everyone" and alleged that the party's poll camp office was operating on illegally registered land. He also raised the possibility that the former HR&CE minister and other officials were involved.

The minister said title deed number 1027 had been declared temple land on several occasions, and that claims of ownership made in court in 2023 were not acknowledged because the temple's ownership was properly documented. He alleged that a case was first filed in Puducherry claiming the patent deed was missing, after which the land was transferred to the DMK functionary on the claim that it belonged to an individual despite the parent deed being unavailable.

Ramkumar has denied the allegations and said a case in the matter is already pending before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.