Cont.P.(MD) No.1896 of 2026 BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 29.06.2026 CORAM THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.SARAVANAN Cont.P.(MD) No.1896 of 2026 1.AR.Ramasamy 2.VR.Venkatachalam ... Petitioners Vs. 1.Mr.T.G.Vinay, I.A.S., The Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department, Nungampakkam, Chennai. 2.Mrs.Bharathi, The Joint Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department, Sivagangai. ... Respondents Prayer : Contempt Petition filed under Section 11 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 to punish the contemnors/first and second respondents for the deliberate and willful disobedience of the order dated 04.03.2026 passed by this Court in W.P.(MD) No.5936 of 2026. For Petitioners : Mr.V.Nirmal Kumar _____________ Page No. 1 of 6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Cont.P.(MD) No.1896 of 2026 For Respondents : Mr.R.Parthiban Counsel for Government of Tamilnadu **** O R D E R The petitioners are before this Court alleging wilful disobedience of the order dated 04.03.2026 passed by this Court in W.P. (MD) No.5936 of 2026, insofar as paragraph 7(v) of the said order is concerned, which reads as follows: “7.In view thereof, this Writ Petition stands disposed of on the following terms: (i) ......... .......... (v) In the meanwhile, let the petitioner also submit an application within a period of one week and the first respondent should ensure that one member from both the families to be part of the Trust board, if they choose trustees in the meanwhile. The same will only be a temporary arrangement pending finalising of the scheme by the first respondent and thereafter, the trust board shall be recommitted as per the scheme. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed.” 2. Pursuant to the aforesaid order, the petitioners submitted an application on 07.04.2026. The petitioners belong to two families, namely, _____________ Page No. 2 of 6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Cont.P.(MD) No.1896 of 2026 AL family and VR family, who claim to have control over Sri Silambani Chidambara Vinayagar Temple, which apparently belongs to the families of Veerappa Chettiyar and Alagappa Chettiyar of Devakottai. 3. The grievance of the petitioners is that despite the order dated 04.03.2026 passed by this Court directing the respondents to appoint members from the two families, the second respondent issued a communication dated 08.06.2026 bearing reference Na.Ka. No. 2960/2026/E1, wherein she expressed her inability to comply with the said order and stated that she had placed the matter before the Commissioner for appropriate orders. The relevant portion of the said communication reads as follows: “10.Nkw;gb jpUf;NfhapyhdJ rl;lg;gpupT 46(iii) epiyapyhd jpUf;Nfhapy; Mjyhy; ,j;jpUf;NfhapYf;F mwq;fhtyu;fs; epakdk; nra;tjw;F muRf;F kl;LNk rl;l tpjpfspd; gb mjpfhuk; cs;sjhYk;> rl;lg;gpupT 47(1)(a)(i)f;F khwhf Mizau; ePjpkd;wj;jpy; jd;dpr;ir kD KbT nra;jpLk; tiu ,iz Mizau; ,U FLk;gq;fspypUe;Jk; jyh xUtiu epakdk; nra;jpl njuptpf;fg;gl;Ls;sjhYk;> Nkw;gb jpUf;NfhapYf;F khz;gik cau;ePjpkd;w cj;jutpd; gb mwq;fhtyu; ,uz;L egu;fis epakdk; nra;tJ njhlu;ghf ,t;tYtyf e.f.vz;. 3225/2026/M1. ehs;.29.05.2026 Njjpa Fwpg;gpd; %yk; ,j;Jiw Mizau; mtu;fsplk; njspTiu toq;fpl Nfl;fg;gl;L mYtyf eltbf;ifapy; cs;sJ vd;w tptuk; jq;fSf;F njuptpj;Jf; nfhs;sg;gLfpwJ. _____________ Page No. 3 of 6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Cont.P.(MD) No.1896 of 2026 11.vdNt> khz;gik cau;ePjpkd;w cj;jutpd; gb vLf;fg;gl Ntz;ba eltbf;if Fwpj;J ,t;tYtYfk; %yk; ,j;Jiw MizaUf;F mDg;gg;gl;l 29.05.2026 Njjpa Fwpg;gpd; kPJ toq;fg;gLk; njspTiuapid nghUj;J njhlu; eltbf;ifahdJ vLf;fg;gLk; vd jq;fSf;F njuptpj;Jf; nfhs;sg;gLfpwJ. vdNt. ,iz Mizau; kPJ ePjpkd;w mtkjpg;G tof;F njhlUtjw;F Kfhe;jpuk; ,y;iy vdTk; jq;fSf;F njuptpj;Jf; nfhs;sg;gLfpwJ.” 4. It is noticed that pursuant to the aforesaid communication, the second respondent has issued proceedings dated 18.06.2026 bearing reference Se.Mu.Na.Ka. No.3225/2026/Aa1, a copy of which has been filed before this Court today, wherein the order of this Court appears to have been complied with. Paragraph 25 of the said proceedings reads as follows: “25.vdNt> Nkw;fhZk; t.vz;.24-y; cs;s $w;Wfspd; mbg;gilapYk;> khz;gik cau;ePjpkd;w cj;jutpd; gbAk;> Mizau; mYtyf 17.6.2026 Njjpa Fwpg;gpd; gbAk;> Nkw;gb jpUf;NfhapYf;F ,ilf;fhy mwq;fhtyu;fshf epakdk; nra;jpl AL FLk;gj;ij rhu;e;j jpU.N.Rg;gpukzpad; vd;gtiu 63 egu;fSk;> VR FLk;gj;ij rhu;e;j jpU.VR.eNlrd; vd;gtiu 39 egu;fSk; Mjutspj;Js;sjhYk;> NkYk; jpU.ehuhazd;> jpU.rpjk;guk; Mfpa ,UtiuAk; 20 egu;fs; Mjutspj;Js;sjhYk;> $Ljyhd egu;fs; Mjutspj;Js;s Nkw;gb jpU.N.Rg;gpukzpad;> jpU.VR.eNlrd; ,UtiuAk; Nkw;gb jpUf;Nfhapy; mwq;fhtyu;fshf jkpo;ehL ,e;J rka mwepiyaj; Jiw rl;lk;> 1959 rl;l tpjpfSf;Fl;gl;L epu;thfk; ghu;j;Jtu cj;jutplg;gLfpwJ. khz;gik nrd;id _____________ Page No. 4 of 6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Cont.P.(MD) No.1896 of 2026 cau;ePjpkd;wk; kJiu fpis cj;jutpd; gb Mizau; ePjpkd;wj;jpy; jd;dpr;ir kD kPJ KbT nra;ag;gLk; fhykhd ehd;F khjq;fSf;F kl;Lk; gjtp fhyk; vd;gJ njuptpf;fg;gLfpwJ.” 5. Considering the above, this Contempt Petition alleging violation of the order dated 04.03.2026 passed by this Court cannot be countenanced. However, it is open to the petitioners to work out their remedy against the proceedings dated 18.06.2026 in the manner known to law, if so advised. 6. Accordingly, this Contempt Petition is closed. 29.06.2026 NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No JEN _____________ Page No. 5 of 6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis Cont.P.(MD) No.1896 of 2026 C.SARAVANAN , J. JEN Cont.P.(MD) No.1896 of 2026 29.06.2026 _____________ Page No. 6 of 6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis