Sub-Registrar booked for facilitating sale of Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple lands in Madurai

He registered the property located outside his jurisdiction in favour of a private persons

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption has booked a Sub-Registrar on charges of registering properties belonging to Arulmigu Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple, Madurai, in favour of a private person.

Preliminary enquiries revealed the accused officer not only failed to get the No-Objection Certificate from the temple authorities but also registered the lands located outside his jurisdiction. 

The investigating agency acted on specific information that Mr. Balamurugan, former Sub-Registrar, Othakadai, during his tenure (September 9, 2019 to August 6, 2020) had aided the private parties to register the temple lands violating the order of the Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and causing loss to HR&CE Department and the Tamil Nadu government. 

On the basis of a vigilance report, a case was registered against the official, at present working as Administration Manager, District Registrar Office, Marthandam in Kanniyakumari district, under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1999, read with sections of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the First Information Report, over a period of time many devotees of Madurai Meenakshi Amman gave valuables in their names to the Arulmigu Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple for fulfilling the day-to-day expenditure and other rituals of the temple. Such temple lands in the name of Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple came under the control of HR&CE Department and were maintained by the Sooravalli Subbaiyer Trust.

The DVAC received information that the temple lands were often occupied and sometimes sold to parties using forged documents with the assistance of the officials of the Registration Department.

It was reliably ascertained through credible sources that the accused officer, after obtaining pecuniary advantage, had registered the Trust land in the name of a private person.