Meenakshi Temple land fraud: FIR lodged against 19 in Madurai

Madurai CCB registers an FIR against 19 persons for an alleged land fraud case involving a high-value property of the Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. The accused allegedly forged documents to usurp the temple's trust land.

The Madurai Central Crime Branch (CCB) has registered an FIR against 19 individuals following a complaint lodged by the Joint Commissioner of the historic Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple regarding an alleged land fraud case.

Details of the Alleged Fraud

According to the complaint, the accused individuals allegedly conspired to fraudulently transfer the patta and execute illegal mortgage deeds and power-of-attorney registrations involving a high-value property belonging to the temple at Chokkikulam in Madurai. The property in question was originally bequeathed to the temple under a registered will executed in 1930 specifically for carrying out temple charities and kattalai (ritual) services. Investigators alleged that private individuals, in collusion with former revenue and sub-registrar officials, manipulated official revenue records to facilitate the illegal transactions.

Despite pending revenue appeals and an interim stay granted by the Madras High Court, several property transactions were allegedly registered at the Murappanadu and Vadamadurai Sub-Registrar Offices.

FIR Registered and Investigation Underway

Based on the official complaint filed by the temple administration, the CCB registered an FIR against 19 accused persons and launched a comprehensive investigation to trace the fraudulent transactions and hold the perpetrators accountable. The FIR was registered on July 25, 2026. The accused have been booked for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy to usurp trust land belonging to the temple. The charges state that they illegally mutated the patta, registered fraudulent documents, and created a mortgage in direct violation of court orders and provisions of the Registration Act. The Madurai City Central Crime Branch is conducting a detailed investigation into the matter and interrogating those connected to the case. (ANI)

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