On 25 June 2025, the Madras High Court issued contempt notices to five senior IAS officers and two officials from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department for not complying with a 2024 court order concerning the relocation of a school operating on temple-owned land in Cuddalore district.
The order stems from a contempt petition filed by BJP functionary S. Vinoth Raghavendran, who serves as the State Secretary for the party’s Spiritual and Temple Development Wing. He alleged that despite a High Court directive more than a year ago, authorities have failed to move the St. Joseph Matriculation Higher Secondary School, which has been situated on land belonging to the Devanathaswamy Temple in Thiruvanthipuram, Cuddalore District for over five years.
A division bench consisting of Justice K.R. Sriram and Justice Sunder Mohan directed the following officials to appear before the court on 10 July 2025:
- P. Amudha, Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management
- S. Madhumathi, Secretary, School Education
- Dr. B. Chandramohan, Secretary, Tourism, Culture, and HR&CE
- P.N. Sridhar, Commissioner, HR&CE
- Sibi Adithia Senthilkumar, Collector, Cuddalore
- Two unnamed Joint Commissioners from the HR&CE Department
According to the petition, although the court had, in April 2024, given the state a six-month extension to identify alternative land for the school to ensure minimal disruption to students, no meaningful action was taken. The petitioner emphasized that the land in question is reserved for religious purposes and must be preserved as part of the temple’s heritage.
The court criticized the continued inaction and delay by the state machinery, noting that the matter had been dragging on for more than five years. The issuance of contempt notices and the call for personal appearance underline the court’s seriousness in holding government officials accountable.
The upcoming hearing on 10 July is expected to be pivotal, as it may lead to further legal repercussions for the officials involved if the court finds continued non-compliance with its directive.
(With inputs from Court Book)
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