Sixth Arrest in Meenakshi Temple Land Scam: Ex-Sub-Registrar Held

The Madurai City Police have arrested Anantharaman, a former Sub-Registrar of Murappanadu in Thoothukudi district, in connection with the illegal registration of trust land belonging to the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. The arrest, made on Thursday, is the sixth in the multi-crore land scam being probed by the Central Crime Branch (CCB).

Anantharaman, who was named as the 15th accused in the case registered in July, is accused of facilitating the illegal transfer of temple trust land through a power of attorney. According to officials, he registered the land in April 2021 at the Murappanadu Sub-Registrar office in favour of two individuals — S. Ilayaraja of Usilampatti and P. Aneesh of Tiruvallur. The property was subsequently pledged and transferred to three others in July 2021 at the Vadamadurai Sub-Registrar office.

The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, a historic and culturally significant shrine in Madurai, owns substantial trust lands whose revenue supports temple operations and charitable activities. The alleged scam involves the illegal sale and mortgaging of these lands, depriving the temple of its rightful assets. Police have not yet disclosed the total value of the land involved, but sources indicate it runs into crores of rupees.

The investigation, led by the CCB, has already resulted in the arrest of Anbalagan, a former Tahsildar, and Arasan, a former Village Administrative Officer (VAO), among others. The arrests suggest a coordinated effort by government officials and private individuals to usurp temple property. The role of document registrars is critical in such transactions, as they are expected to verify the legitimacy of ownership and transfer requests.

Legal experts say that the fraudulent registration of land using power of attorney is a common method in land scams, often involving collusion between insiders and external parties. In this case, the CCB is examining whether more officials were involved in the conspiracy. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, criminal conspiracy, and forgery, along with provisions of the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interests of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, if applicable.

Anantharaman was produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody. The CCB has said that further interrogations are on to trace the full chain of transactions and recover the illegally transferred properties. They have also urged the public to come forward with any information related to the scam.

The case highlights the vulnerability of religious institutions' properties to fraudulent practices. Temple trust lands across Tamil Nadu have often been subject to encroachment and illegal transfers, prompting the state government to set up special cells to protect them. The current investigation is being closely watched as a test case for strict action against such offences.