Melting Of Temple Jewellery Sans Appointment Of Trustees: Madras High Court Seeks State's Response Within Three Weeks

In a batch of writ petitions regarding the melting of temple jewellery into gold bars under Gold Monetisation Scheme, the Madras High Court has granted three weeks time to the state to file its counter-affidavits.

The first bench of Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy has also allowed one of the petitioners to file a rejoinder affidavit.

In October last year, Madras High Court passed an interim order asking the Tamil Nadu government to refrain from taking any decision on melting temple jewellery into gold bars, as part of the recently announced Gold Monetisation Scheme, until Trustees are appointed to Hindu temples in the State.

"It is made clear that the exercise of completing the inventory of the offerings, including the jewellery and other valuables, may be conducted under the aegis of the retired Judges through the committees as indicated by the State; but no decision to melt any jewellery or to dispose of any valuable which forms a part of the offerings at the relevant temple should be taken without the trustees thereat being installed pursuant to the advertisements issued", the court had noted in Indic Collective Trust & Anr. v. State of Tamil Nadu & Anr ( WP 22916/ 2021).

Today, petitioner's counsel P Valliappan sought a short accommodation to file a reply in the matter. He submitted that some writ petitions were transferred from Madurai Bench very recently and he received the papers only last Monday. All of the connected matters have been listed together for further hearing after three weeks, i.e., on 10th March, 2022

In a connected case B. Jagganath v. The Commissioner & Ors ( WP 26189/ 2021), the counsel submitted that the matter pertains to the appointment of trustees and the alienation of temple lands. Till date, no trustees have been appointed, he added.

In T.R Ramesh v. State of Tamil Nadu & Anr. (WP 23070/ 2021), the petitioner in person submitted that the relevant matter in the petition was slightly different from the other ones clubbed together. He explained that his case is related to HR & CE Department Commissioner appointing officials to HR & CE Department in addition to the executive officers of temples even when it is not sanctioned by the provisions of the Act. He added that the Government has filed a counter on Monday and he can file the rejoinder in one week. This request was granted by the bench and the matter was listed separately on 18th February.

Advocate P. Valliappan also submitted that the melting of temple jewellery into gold bars shouldn't happen unless the temple trustees are appointed which is the reason why matters pertaining to the appointment of trustees and melting of gold were tagged together. 

Case Title: M. Saravanan v. State of Tamil Nadu & Ors, Indic Collective Trust & Anr v. State of Tamil Nadu & Anr & Connected Matters

Case No: WP 22333/ 2021, WP 22916/ 2021 & Ors

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