Evidence released in Srirangam
Minister Ramesh on Saturday claimed that land belonging to the Srirangam Aranganathar Temple in Tiruchirappalli district had been encroached upon and is being used as a DMK party office. He said he was releasing documentary evidence after receiving multiple complaints from residents.
Documents cited
According to the minister, a title deed issued in 1866 identified 329 acres across various survey numbers as temple property under document number 1027. He said the Inam Commissioner reaffirmed this in 1910 and that the 1930 “A” register also recorded the land as belonging to the temple.
Allegation of illegal transfer
Ramesh alleged that a DMK functionary had carried out an unlawful name transfer and constructed the party office on a plot whose survey number, he said, is listed as temple land in the “A” register. He further cited a 1998 Inam Tribunal decision that, he said, confirmed all lands covered under the title deed as temple property.
Court reference and registration concerns
He said the temple administration had written to the Registrar’s office before the DMK came to power in 2020, stating that lands under document 1027 could not be bought or sold without Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) permission. He also said the Madurai Bench of the High Court dismissed petitions in 2023 claiming ownership over lands under the same document, and questioned how registration was done using a certificate linked to a police complaint about missing original documents.
Value and questions raised
Ramesh claimed the land’s value is being estimated at around ₹50 crore and asked how such a registration could have occurred without scrutiny by multiple departments, including revenue, police, HR&CE and registration authorities. He alleged the DMK office had been used for Assembly and Parliament election-related work on what he said is temple land.
