Madras High Court
Rangarajan Narasimhan vs The State Of Tamil Nadu on 19 January, 2022
Author: M.N.Bhandari
Bench: Munishwar Nath Bhandari, P.D.Audikesavalu
W.P.No.27090 of 2019
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED : 19.01.2022
CORAM :
THE HON'BLE MR.MUNISHWAR NATH BHANDARI,
ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE
AND
THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE P.D.AUDIKESAVALU
W.P.No.27090 of 2019
Rangarajan Narasimhan .. Petitioner
Vs.
1. The State of Tamil Nadu
rep. by its Additional Chief Secretary
Department of Tourism, Culture and
Religious Endowments Department
Secretariat, Fort St. George
Chennai - 600 009.
2. The Commissioner
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments
Department, 119, Uthamar Gandhi Salai
Nungambakkam, Chennai - 600 034.
3. The Joint Commissioner/Executive Officer
Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
4. Venu Srinivasan
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
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W.P.No.27090 of 2019
5. K.N.Srinivasan
Trustee, Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
6. Kavitha Jagadeesan
Trustee, Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
7. S.T.Rangachari
Trustee, Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
8. Ko.Ka.Va.Annan Thiruvenkatachariar
Sthalathar, Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
(Shri U.Ve.Ko.Ka.Va.Annan Vaadhoola Desikar)
206, East Uthra Street
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
9. U.Ve.Kovil Vedavyasa Senthamaraikannan Bhattar
Sthalathar, Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
(Shri U.Ve.Vedavyasa Bhattar)
133/33, North Uthra Street
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
10.U.Ve.Badri Narayana Bhattar
Sthalathar, Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
(U.Ve.Parasara Bhattar)
231, South Uthra Street
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
11.Sudharshana Rangachar
Sthalathar, Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
(U.Ve.Ko.Ka.Va.Annan Rangachar)
121/70, East Chitra Street
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
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W.P.No.27090 of 2019
12.Singaperumal Uthama Nambi
Sthalathar, Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple
(Shri U.Ve.Uthama Nambi)
28/3, West Uthra Street
Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006. .. Respondents
Prayer: Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking
issuance of a writ of declaration declaring the hereditary Sthalathar
Trustee as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Shri Ranganatha
Swamy Temple, Srirangam as required by Section 48 of the Hindu
Religious and Charitable Endowments Act and consequentially declare
the election/appointment of the 4th respondent as Chairman, Board
of Trustees of Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam, as
arbitrary, illegal, null and void and the same being ultra vires of
Section 48 of the HR&CE Act.
For the Petitioner : Mr.Rangarajan Narasimhan
Petitioner-in-person
For the Respondents : Mr.T.Chandrasekaran
Special Government Pleader
for respondents 1 and 2
: Mr.C.Aryma Sundaram
Senior Counsel
for Mr.R.Karthikeyan
for respondents 4 to 7
: Mr.T.V.Ramanujam
Senior Counsel
for Mr.R.Karthikeyan
for 3rd respondent
: Mr.K.V.Babu
for M/s.R.Priyanka
for 9th respondent
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W.P.No.27090 of 2019
: Mr.P.B.Sampath Kumar
for 10th respondent
: Mr.V.Giri
Senior Counsel
for Mr.P.K.Harinath Babu
for 12th respondent
: No appearance
for respondents 8 and 11
ORDER
(Order of the Court was made by the Hon'ble Acting Chief Justice) The writ petition was filed for the following prayer:
".... a writ of declaration declaring the hereditary Sthalathar Trustee as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam as required by Section 48 of the HR&CE Act and consequentially declare the election/appointment of the 4th respondent as Chairman, Board of Trustees of Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam, as arbitrary, illegal, null and void and the same being ultra vires of Section 48 of the HR&CE Act."
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2. During the pendency of the writ petition, additional affidavits were filed by the petitioner to indicate maladministration, malpractice and even misappropriation of the temple funds, for which a prayer in the writ petition was not made initially. With the submission of additional affidavits from time to time, there is substantial change in the prayer originally made in the writ petition. To concentrate on the main issue of maladministration, malpractice and misappropriation of the funds, the petitioner-in-person prays for liberty to either file a fresh writ petition or to amend the pending writ petition, being W.P.No.28799 of 2018. In so far as election of the Chairman and Trustees of Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam is concerned, the petitioner-in-person is not pressing the writ petition.
3. In view of the submission of the petitioner-in-person, the present writ petition is dismissed as not pressed limited to the issue of election of the Chairman and Trustees of Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam. However, it is with liberty to the petitioner-in-
person to either amend the pending writ petition, being W.P.No.28799 of 2018, or to file a fresh writ petition in regard to all __________ Page 5 of 7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.27090 of 2019 other issues raised by the petitioner by filing additional affidavits.
The dismissal of the writ petition would not come in the way of the petitioner for the aforesaid.
There will be no order as to costs. Consequently, W.M.P.Nos.29005 and 30145 of 2021 are closed.
(M.N.B., ACJ.) (P.D.A., J.)
19.01.2022
Index : No
sasi
To:
1. The Additional Chief Secretary State of Tamil Nadu Department of Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department Secretariat, Fort St. George Chennai - 600 009.
2. The Commissioner Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, 119, Uthamar Gandhi Salai Nungambakkam, Chennai - 600 034.
3. The Joint Commissioner/Executive Officer Shri Ranganatha Swamy Temple Srirangam, Trichy - 620 006.
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