Activist alleges ‘criminal misappropriation’ of temple funds by T.N. HR&CE Dept, Madras High Court calls for response

Litigant T.R. Ramesh has alleged, based on RTI responses, that HR&CE offices have been set up on temple land; temple funds have been used for construction of offices and purchase of luxury cars; he has asked for an external audit and probe into the issue

The Madras High Court has called for the response of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department to the allegation that it had used temple properties and funds for construction of its offices, purchase of luxury cars and other purposes, in complete violation of the rules and regulations.

Justices R. Mahadevan and P.D. Audikesavalu directed temple activist T.R. Ramesh to file an additional affidavit listing out the allegations levelled by him on the basis of information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act of 2005 and directed Special Government Pleader N.R.R. Arun Natarajan to file a reply.

Accordingly, Mr. Ramesh has filed an additional affidavit insisting upon an external audit and constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) led by an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police to prosecute the government and HR&CE officials who had misused temple properties and funds over the past two decades.

Mr. Ramesh has also sought for a direction to the State government as well as the HR&CE Department to ensure reparation to temple properties that had been usurped and restoration of the temple funds, along with 7.95% interest compounded annually, on the basis of the reports to be submitted by the external auditors.

The petitioner contended that his success rate under the RTI Act was less than 10% and yet he had been able to unearth the huge amount of “criminal misappropriation” of temple funds and properties by the HR&CE Department in violation of the provisions of the HR&CE Act and the statutory rules framed thereunder.

Claiming that the RTI replies had confirmed that money belonging to various temples in the State had been used to purchase computers for HR&CE offices and even for repairing the toilets in those offices, the petitioner asked: “Is it for this purpose that crores of devotees put their money in the temple Hundials (donation boxes)?”

The petitioner said that offices for the HR&CE Department’s Mayiladuthurai regional joint commissioner and assistant commissioner had been constructed on land belonging to Sri Sammanthar Temple at Sitharkadu. The construction cost amounting to ₹99 lakh had been taken from four different temple funds.