In a significant legal development, M Elsiyus Fernando, a Catholic resident of Chennai, has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Madras High Court against the Archdiocese of Madras Mylapore Society and the Diocese of Chengalpattu Society, accusing them of illegal land sales and embezzlement of more than Rs. 5,000 crores. Fernando, a marketing manager and Catholic worshipper, has raised concerns over the alleged fraudulent sale of public lands originally meant for religious purposes and grazing land.

The PIL, filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, names several government and diocesan officials, including the Secretary of the Department of Revenue, the Commissioner of Land Administration, and various police and registration authorities. The petition claims that diocesan authorities have illegally sold government-owned properties located in St. Thomas Mount, Irumbuliyur, and Abiramapuram.

Fernando, supported by documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, alleges that over 130 acres of land—comprising 75.25 acres at St. Thomas Mount, 53.14 acres at Irumbuliyur, and 1.55 acres at Abiramapuram—were unlawfully sold by the diocese, bypassing legal safeguards. He further claims that diocesan authorities and other accomplices misappropriated the proceeds from these sales.

The properties in question were initially granted for religious service or classified as grazing land. Notably, the St. Thomas Mount land, which is part of a national monument, was designated as a “Religious Service Inam” by the Inam Commission in 1915. However, Fernando contends that this land, along with the other properties, was sold without proper authorization, leading to significant financial losses for the state government.

The petitioner’s affidavit further alleges that the Diocese of Chengalpattu, led by Bishop Rev. Dr. Neethinathan, in collusion with real estate developers, fraudulently developed and sold the 53.14-acre Irumbuliyur property. Fernando also claims that 1.55 acres of land in Abiramapuram, classified as “Poramboku” (wasteland), was encroached upon by a church and is now under unlawful occupation.

In his affidavit, Fernando also accuses police officials of shielding the real culprits. He asserts that despite his involvement as a witness in an FIR (No. 102/2022) filed against one of the priests involved in the sale of the lands, the investigation has been mishandled. He claims that the police are protecting those responsible and may close the matter, treating it as a civil issue.

According to Fernando’s estimates, the total value of the 130 acres of land, based on earlier transactions, is over Rs. 5,000 crores. He asserts that the current market value is likely much higher. However, despite submitting a representation to the relevant authorities, including the Department of Revenue, the Inam Commissioner, and other officials, he claims no action has been taken.

The petition seeks urgent intervention from the Madras High Court to safeguard the government’s land holdings, restore the properties to their rightful ownership, and hold the culprits accountable for their actions. Fernando demands that a comprehensive inquiry be conducted, the illegal sales be reversed, and those involved in the fraud be prosecuted for offenses including cheating, forgery, breach of trust, and money laundering.

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The post Catholic Worshipper Files PIL In Madras HC Against Diocese Over Illegal Land Sales And ₹5,000 Crore Embezzlement appeared first on The Commune.

Arappor Iyakkam, a prominent anti-corruption organisation, lodged a complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on 21 November 2023, exposing an alleged land grab scandal worth ₹250 crores at St Thomas Mount. The complaint asserted that a group of individuals illicitly acquired government land in collusion with officials from the revenue and registration departments. 

According to Jayaram Venkatesan, the convenor of Arappor Iyakkam, numerous lands in St Thomas Mount held government status since the British period. In October 2015, the Alandur Tahsildar wrote a letter to the sub-registrar of Chennai South Sub-Division 2, identifying 36 survey numbers in Mount Village as government lands. The letter explicitly stated that no further deed registration should be undertaken on these survey numbers. Despite this directive, Venkatesan alleges that sub-registrars Uma, Balakrishnan, Geetha, and others executed numerous deed registrations in violation of the clear instructions.

When filing the complaint, Venkatesan pointed out a specific case involving a company named Vedanta, which reportedly leased land opposite the DVAC office on MKN road at St Thomas Mount to the State Bank of India (SBI) for five years starting in 2019 at a monthly rent of ₹5 lakh. He criticised the DVAC, stating that the land scandal occurred under its watch.

The complaint further highlighted an instance where the district registrar in 2022 cancelled the registration of government land measuring 54,605 sq ft, valued at ₹80 crores, on survey no 442 after a verification process conducted by Chennai South Joint II Sub-Registrar Office revealed forgery.

Venkatesan expressed concern about the vulnerability of physical volumes of parent documents stored in Sub-Registrar offices. He alleged that the collusion between the land mafia and officials involved the substitution of older parent documents with fake ones. This, he argued, jeopardised the safety of land ownership across Tamil Nadu.

Despite these revelations, Arappor Iyakkam claimed that no action had been taken against sub-registrar Uma. While the CBCID filed an FIR against private individuals connected to the case, including a private data entry operator and a person named Yvonne Mary, who came for registration, the sub-registrar had allegedly been overlooked.

Arappor Iyakkam called on the DVAC and CBCID to initiate criminal proceedings against Uma, other implicated sub-registrars, public servants, and private individuals. The organisation has also urged the Inspector General of Registration to annul these registrations, suspend the officials involved, and that the Revenue Department assumes physical possession of the properties. Additionally, they demanded action against officials responsible for issuing fraudulent land records.

சென்னை பரங்கிமலை கிராமமே சிட்டிசன் படம் அத்திப்பட்டி போல இணையதளத்தில் பட்டா விவரங்கள் இல்லாமல் காணாமல் அடிக்க செய்யப்பட்டது. காரணம் இந்த பகுதியில் உள்ள நிறைய அரசு நிலங்களை அரசியல்வாதிகள், அரசு அதிகாரிகள் மற்றும் நில மாபியா சேர்ந்து ஆட்டையை போட்டு உள்ளார்கள். இது குறித்த விரிவான… pic.twitter.com/Phy4One7ui

— Jayaram Venkatesan (@JayaramArappor) November 22, 2023

A few days after Arappor Iyakkam filed a complaint concerning the unlawful registration of land in St Thomas Mount, the government reclaimed the land on 25 November 2023. Subsequently, the sub-registrar Uma was suspended two days ago in response to the complaint.

(with inputs from DT Next)

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The post Land Allegedly Grabbed Near St Thomas Mount Reclaimed After Arappor Iyakkam Files Complaint With DVAC appeared first on The Commune.

A complaint has been filed by Hindu organizations with the Cantonment Officer regarding a new building being constructed on Central Government land by the Church administration in St. Thomas Mount, Chennai.

Many patches of land in the St. Thomas Mount area of Chennai are under the control of the Office of the Cantonment Board of the Central Government. A new building is reportedly being constructed by the Church in one of the lands.

In light of this, a few Hindu organizations like the Hindu Munnani and BJP have filed a complaint with the Officer of the Cantonment Board demanding that the construction work be stopped immediately.

St. Thomas Mount which even today is known as Parangimalai in Tamil is said to be the place where Parangi Maharishi lived and did penance for Lord Shiva.

A committee was set up on behalf of the Hindu Tamil Association to reclaim Parangi Malai. An attempt was made to do a circumambulation of the mount on the occasion of Pournami (full moon day) for which the permission was denied by the police.

(With inputs from Dinamalar)

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The post Hindu Orgs Oppose Construction Of Church Building Allegedly On Central Govt’s Land In Chennai’s St. Thomas Mount appeared first on The Commune.