HC dismisses plea to remove water channel from Pallikaranai temple

CHENNAI: The first division bench of Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy had dismissed a public interest litigation filed for a direction to remove a water channel built inside the HR and CE administered Arulmigu Sri Lakshmi Narayana Perumal Koil, Pallikaranai.

The bench dismissed the petition on the ground that the petitioner N Chittibabu has no locus standi to say where the channel should be constructed. The court also pointed out that the petitioner was merely a president of an unregistered body.

The ACJ further clarified that it is not for this court exercising jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to direct the respondent authorities, who are experts in the field, to direct where the channel should be constructed

The bench directed the authorities to ensure that while constructing the channel the ambiance of the temple is not disturbed and no inconvenience is caused to the devotees at large.

Arun Natarajan, Special Government Pleader for the HR and CE submitted that the department and in concert with the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department decided to construct a channel inside the temple in the larger interest of the temple and devotees to prevent flooding.

The petitioner submitted that it was on October 27, 2022, the EO of the said temple and officials of the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department illegally brought several JCBs, lorries, tractors, and one concrete-filling lorry and demolished the compound wall and started digging up a link channel at a width of 20 feet on the southern side of the said temple.