The HR&CE department has sought time from the High Court to submit a detailed report on the actual area of land owned by the temple.
Devotees of the Arulmigu Akilandeshwari Sametha Agatheeswarar Temple in Nungambakkam have urged Chief Minister K Joseph Vijay to direct officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) to return the lands belonging to the deity.
More than 415 plots of land belonging to the temple have been illegally alienated gradually over the years by the former trustees of the temple in collusion with some department officials, alleged members of the National Federation of Hindu Temples.
“Those who were selling the lands were not the hereditary trustees of the temple. Although this was proven long ago, a certain family continued to sell pieces of land claiming to be the trustees of the temple. People received pattas for the temple properties, which were located all over Nungambakkam,” said R. Amalraj, a federation official.
Dinesh Kumar of the Bharat Hindu Religious and Benevolent Society said the old vegetable market and school had disappeared over the years as the property was sold illegally.
“This temple is kula devatha (ancestral family deity) for many families, and although many have moved away, they still return for the annual festival. Many tenants continue to maintain their stores or commercial establishments without paying rent. In some cases, there are no lease agreements at all. The rent arrears run into millions of rupees. It is necessary to take measures to collect this debt,” he said.
K Sriram, general secretary of the federation, said they want appropriate action to be taken against officials involved in the illegal sale. “The conspiracy has been going on for the last 50-60 years. This is an old case in the department that no one has taken seriously until now,” he said.
In mid-July, the Madras High Court ordered the Department of Personnel and Management to submit within six weeks a detailed report on the actual area of land owned by the temple, as per records; area of land sold under Section 34 of the HR&CE Act, identity of purchases and date of sale; the area of land sold under Section 9 of the Madras Tenants Protection Act, the identity of the purchasers and the date of sale; the exact extent of land currently subject to encroachment and the actions taken to remove such encroachment; and the extent of land owned by the temple today.
When the case came up for hearing recently, the department sought a continuance, which was granted by the court.
Published – September 12, 2026 12:32 pm EST.