Temple management accuses litigant of creating trouble
The Madras High Court on Tuesday expressed deep anguish over the Sri
Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam in Tiruchi district facing
“unnecessary” issues with the temple management and a litigant,
Rangarajan Narasimhan of Tiruchi, levelling charges against each other.
A
Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and P.D. Audikesavalu expressed
its displeasure when senior counsel Satish Parasaran, representing the
temple management, accused Mr. Narasimhan of interfering with the
day-to-day administration of the temple and going to the extent of
screaming at the priests.
The senior counsel said the litigant had
been roaming around the temple campus recording every other happening
with his mobile phone camera. His activities had forced the temple
administration to record his activities too. “So, now we have two teams
with two cameras to give their version of what the other side is doing.
This is not the way in which a litigant should conduct himself. Here is a
person who is going about marring the reputation of every other soul
involved in the temple administration. He has been maligning people in
the social media. Whatever allegations he has to make, let him put it on
affidavit. We are all here to answer,” he added.
Mr. Parasaran
also claimed that many donors contributing towards temple renovation
work had backed off because they felt threatened at the prospect of
their image being tarnished on the social media. However, Mr.
Narashimhan claimed that he had videographed the happenings in the
temple only to collect evidence for his claim regarding alleged
irregularities.
Disapproving of such a practice, the senior judge
asked the litigant to desist from the practice of videographing the
happenings inside the temple. “You are entitled to go to the temple as a
devotee and worship the deities. Whatever you have to say in the court,
put it in the form of an affidavit,” the judge said.
Anticipatory bail plea
Early
this month, the Idol Wing-CID had filed a status report in a sealed
cover on the investigation conducted by it so far on the basis of the
litigant’s complaint of theft of several ancient artefacts from the
temple. Stating that they would require time to peruse the report, the
judges adjourned further hearing on the issue to November 1.
Later,
when the anticipatory bail petitions of businesspersons Ranvir R. Shah
and Kiran Velagapudi (Kiran Rao) came up for hearing, the Idol Wing-CID
filed written replies, vehemently objecting to grant of advance bail to
them in a case booked by it for allegedly being in possession of ancient
temple idols and artefacts. Further hearing on the anticipatory bail
pleas was adjourned to Thursday to enable the appearance of State Public
Prosecutor A. Natarajan.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/hc-pained-over-srirangam-temple-getting-mired-in-row/article25304240.ece
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