Authority: Madras High Court, Madurai Bench
Order Date: 08 July 2026
Case Overview
- Petitioner: Subramanian (represented by Mr. R. Senthil Kumar) filed W.P. (MD) No.19106 of 2026 under Article 226, seeking a writ of mandamus directing the first respondent (District Collector/Inspector of Panchayats, Pudukkottai) to consider a representation dated 05‑06‑2026 and to direct the sixth respondent (Special Officer/Block Development Officer, Koppanapatti Village Panchayat) to issue a tender notification for temporary shops set up during the Panguni Peruvizha at Arulmigu Konnaiyur Muthumariamman Temple, located in Survey Nos. 49/1 and 49/3, Pudukkottai District.
- Respondents included various district officials and the Executive Officer of the temple. The petition alleged that the land is classified as Sarkar Poramboke land and that the representation had not been acted upon.
- The standing counsel for the seventh respondent clarified that Survey No. 49/1 belongs to the temple and Survey No. 49/3 is a pathway to the temple. The matter of land nature and encroachments had already been addressed by a Division Bench order in W.P. (MD) No.18227 of 2020 dated 11‑12‑2020, which directed removal of encroachments and restoration of the land to the temple.
- It was further submitted that temporary shops are allotted only through a public auction conducted by the temple. The petitioner participated in the auction but was unsuccessful; therefore, he has no vested right to obtain a shop outside the auction process.
Final Outcome
- The bench, by consent of both parties, disposed of the writ at the admission stage. Relying on the 2020 order and the fact that shop allocation is exclusively through auction, the court held that the petitioner has no entitlement and dismissed the writ petition with no costs.
Topics: Temple Land Allocation, Writ Petition Dismissal