Madras HC Orders HR&CE to Evict Mambalam Temple Land Encroachers by September 7

The Madras High Court on Thursday issued a strict four-day deadline to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department to clear encroachments around the Sri Bashyakara Adi Chenna Kesava Perumal temple in Mambalam. The court directed authorities to remove all encroachers from the temple property on or before September 7.

A division bench comprising Justice G Jayachandran and Justice E Manoharan passed the directive while hearing a petition filed by C Janarthanan, a resident of West Mambalam. In his plea, the petitioner sought the eviction of occupants who had encroached upon the temple's land and requested that the property be utilised for the benefit and needs of devotees.

The bench rebuked the HR&CE department for executing a volte-face by backtracking on its initial plans to retrieve the temple land. The judges refused to accept a status report submitted on Thursday by the executive officer of the temple, which stated that the occupants had paid a portion of their dues and that the department had consequently resolved to reverse its eviction decision.

Rejecting the status report, the bench observed that the occupants had been squatting on the temple property for the past six years. The court remarked that partial payments were collected solely with the intention of defeating the court's orders.

Setting a firm timeline, the court instructed the respondents to clear all encroachments and report compliance back to the court on September 8. The bench also directed the Chennai police commissioner to provide adequate police protection for the eviction drive if required.