In a blistering judgment this week, the Madras High Court strongly admonished five senior IAS officers for neglecting multiple judicial orders to evict St. Joseph Matriculation Higher Secondary School, a church-run institution illegally occupying 3.40 acres of temple land in Koothapakkam village, which belongs to the revered Sri Devanathaswamy Temple.
Backrground
The encroachment has been ongoing for over five decades, despite a 2019 ruling by Justice M. Dhandapani ordering the school’s removal. A follow-up 2024 bench reaffirmed the judgment and provided a six-month deadline for evacuation, while also directing authorities to identify alternate land under Section 78 of the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Act, 1959 .
After no action was taken within the extended timeframe, S. Vinoth Raghavendran, state secretary of BJP’s temple wing, filed a contempt petition in 2025, prompting the High Court to take up the matter again.
Contempt Proceedings And Apology
A division bench led by Chief Justice K.R. Shriram and Justice Sunder Mohan summoned five senior officials to appear on July 10, 2025, for contempt proceedings:
P. Amudha – Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue
S. Madhumathi – Secretary, Differently‑Abled Welfare
B. Chandramohan – Principal Secretary, School Education
P. N. Sridhar – HR&CE Commissioner
Sibi Adhithya Senthilkumar – Collector, Cuddalore District
During the hearing, the officers submitted an unconditional apology, acknowledging their failure to comply with prior court mandates. The court accepted their apology and dispensed with the need for further personal appearances
Relocation And Objections
The state had proposed relocating the school to 4.73 acres in Bhuvanagiri taluk, as informed by Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran
However, senior advocate Father Xavier Arul Raj contested the site’s suitability, stating the land is a sandy, roadless plot near mining operations, located 32 km away from the original premises. He urged the court to mandate allocation of land within a 5 km radius, even if smaller in size
Court Directions
The court directed the school management to submit a representation to the Revenue Department, seeking appropriate land. Authorities were ordered to evaluate and allot land within a reasonable timeframe, prioritizing proximity to the original site.
Order Significance
The order marks an uncommon precedent where senior civil servants were publicly held accountable for ignoring judicial orders. It reinforces the judiciary’s insistence on administrative compliance and deterrence of executive inertia.
The land involved forms part of the sacred Deiva Nayagan Divya Desam temple complex at Thiru Vahindrapuram, making restoration of property a matter of cultural and religious importance
According to Nachiappan, President of BJP Tamil Nadu’s Temple Development Wing, this issue only saw movement after filing the contempt petition, despite prior court victories dating back to 2023 and earlier
What Next?
The school is expected to evacuate the original temple land, which will be restored to its rightful religious custodians.
The state revenue department must promptly process land allocation requests submitted by the school, ensuring proximity and accessibility.
The case underscores enforcement of court orders, protection of temple heritage, and administrative accountability going forward.
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