Prominent temple activist TR Ramesh has issued a legal notice to the Principal Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Religious Endowments Department and the Commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, seeking urgent action against the illegal occupation of Sri Sekkizhar Swamy temple land by a Christian minority institution, Madha Dental College near Chennai.

According to the notice, the Soosaiya Peter Educational Trust, a registered Christian minority trust, and its managing trustee Mr. Soosaiya Peter, have allegedly been encroaching on the lands belonging to the Sri Sekkizhar Swamy Temple in Kundrathur, Kanchipuram District, since at least 2001. The land in question, measuring approximately 0.64 hectares across two survey numbers (1121/1 and 1080), has reportedly been used to construct and operate the Madha Dental College, which began functioning in 2006.

TR Ramesh asserts that there exists no lease agreement between the temple and the trust, labeling the occupation as illegal and “chronic encroachment.” He further alleges that such encroachment could not have occurred without active collusion by officials of the HR&CE Department, specifically the Executive Officer of the temple and the Regional Joint Commissioner.

In 2023, Mr. Soosaiya Peter filed a petition (W.P. No. 30701 of 2023) before a Division Bench of the Madras High Court, seeking to exchange the temple land, claiming he was a “lessee.” TR Ramesh filed an impleading petition in the same matter, presenting evidence that the Trust was, in fact, an encroacher and not a legitimate leaseholder. The court dismissed Peter’s petition on 12 December 2024, for want of prosecution.

However, Ramesh has sharply criticized the HR&CE Department for failing to inform the High Court of the pending Section 78 encroachment proceedings and for withholding crucial facts during court proceedings. He also raised concerns about a Senior Counsel, allegedly a DMK Member of Parliament, misrepresenting the law before the Division Bench by citing a government order that does not apply to temple lands.

The notice demands that the HR&CE Department:

• Immediately evict the encroacher and reclaim the temple land and buildings, including over 10,000 sq. ft. of constructed space.

• Calculate and collect rent for commercial use of the temple land from 2001 onwards, along with 12% compound interest.

• File criminal complaints under Section 79-B of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959.

• Initiate disciplinary action against current and former Executive Officers of the temple and the Regional Joint Commissioner for dereliction of duty.

TR Ramesh also reiterated that while non-Hindu trusts may use temple lands with proper lease agreements and fair market rent, no trust—minority or otherwise—should be allowed to occupy temple lands by fraud, construct permanent buildings, and later claim ownership.

He stated that if no response is received from the authorities, he will move the Madras High Court seeking judicial intervention to recover temple lands and property unlawfully occupied for over two decades.