MHC orders HR&CE to issue final orders against suspended temple trustee

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Hindu Religious Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department to investigate the complaint against the suspended trustee of Devadanam Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Thiruvallur. The court also directed HR&CE to get an explanation from the suspended trustee and issue a final order within 12 weeks.

Petitioner Gopi from Ponneri taluk, Thiruvallur moved the Madras High Court (MHC) seeking to quash his suspension order issued by HR&CE.

The petition was listed before Justice N Anand Venkatesh. The petitioner's counsel said that as a trustee of the temple, Gopi has taken various actions to recover the encroached temple lands, due to his action some aggrieved encroachers filed false complaints against Gopi.

Subsequently, the HR&CE department suspended Gopi from the position of trustee, without adequate explanation from him, the counsel added.

After the submission, the Justice ordered Gopi to give a proper explanation about his action against encroachers before the HR&CE department. Further, the Justice ordered the HR&CE joint commissioner to investigate and issue a final order within 12 weeks, ruled the Justice.

Gopi was the hereditary trustee of Devadanam Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Ponneri Thiruvallur.

He was suspended on the basis of a misconduct complaint. However, Gopi moved the MHC challenging his suspension order.