Archive · 13 Aug 2026
HC Adjourns CBI Probe Pleas Over Palani Mutt Land Scam
In the town of Palani in India, there is a temple called the Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamigal mutt.
Some people are accused of using fake documents to take land that belongs to the temple.
The land is worth about 100 crore rupees, which is a very large amount of money.
The CB-CID police have arrested 11 people they believe were part of the problem.
One of the arrested people, a lawyer named Anwardeen, died in jail, and this made many people worried.
Some people do not trust the local police investigation, so they asked a big court to hand the case to a different team called the CBI.
The court did not make a decision yet and told everyone to come back on August 24.
A government worker who helped register the fake papers, Justin Manikandan, was arrested and suspended from his job.
The police also opened another case against him for a different piece of land.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court adjourned to August 24 a batch of petitions seeking a CBI probe into the alleged fraudulent registration of Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamigal mutt land worth Rs 100 crore.
The CB-CID has so far arrested 11 persons, including advocate Anwardeen, who died while in judicial custody at Madurai Central Prison.
Suspended in-charge sub registrar Justin Manikandan, arrested in the case, had earlier faced two cases involving forged and fraudulent documents.
Former Palani MLA Venugopal Senapathy, Annapoorani Sivakumar and municipal chairperson Uma Maheshwari Pradeep filed the petitions questioning the credibility of the state-controlled CB-CID probe.
A separate case was registered against Justin Manikandan, Mani and Kandasamy for allegedly registering private land in Aykudi village using forged documents.
- Who
- Petitioners former Palani MLA Venugopal Senapathy, Annapoorani Sivakumar and Palani municipal chairperson Uma Maheshwari Pradeep, with the case heard by a Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel.
- What
- Pleas seeking transfer to the CBI of the investigation into the alleged fraudulent registration of Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamigal mutt land worth Rs 100 crore.
- When
- Heard on Wednesday and adjourned to August 24.
- Where
- Palani in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu; heard at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.
- Why
- The petitioners alleged the temple land was fraudulently registered in private names and doubted the credibility of the CB-CID probe, citing an accused's death in custody and the suspended sub registrar's past forgery-related cases.
Petitioners seeking CBI transfer
State-run CB-CID investigation
Transfer of investigation to the CBI
Petitioners seeking CBI transfer
The petitioners say the CB-CID probe, which is under the State government's control, is not credible and should be transferred to the CBI.
State-run CB-CID investigation
The CB-CID has so far arrested 11 persons in the case, and the High Court has not ordered any transfer of the investigation.
Doubts over the probe's handling
Petitioners seeking CBI transfer
The accused advocate Anwardeen died within a few hours of being remanded after three days of police custody, and sub registrar Justin Manikandan had previously faced two forgery-related cases, raising doubts over the investigation.
State-run CB-CID investigation
The articles report no official response or explanation from the CB-CID on these allegations.
- Court
- Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court
- Next hearing date
- August 24
- Land value involved
- Rs 100 crore
- Location
- Palani, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu
- Arrests made so far
- 11 persons arrested by CB-CID
- Suspended sub registrar
- Justin Manikandan
- Deceased accused
- Advocate Anwardeen, who died in judicial custody at Madurai Central Prison
- New case registered
- Against Justin Manikandan, Mani and Kandasamy over forged registration of land in Aykudi village