A land deed registration involving 1.35 acres belonging to the Thandapani Swamigal Math attached to the Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple has been cancelled by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.
Earlier, some individuals had approached the court claiming the sub-registrar refused to register a sale deed for the property. A single judge had quashed the sub-registrar’s refusal and directed that the sale be registered.
Following that order, the land—reported to be worth about Rs 100 crore—was registered on July 6, 2026, in the names of two individuals, triggering shock among devotees and sparking widespread controversy.
The Tamil Nadu government suspended sub-registrar Justin Manikandan, who carried out the registration. The temple administration also lodged a police complaint against the concerned persons, and a case has been registered.
Challenging the single judge’s decision, the temple’s Executive Officer, who is also the trustee of the math, filed an appeal before a division bench. Justices Karthikeyan and Sakthivel allowed the appeal, set aside the earlier order, and held that the deed registration is not valid.
