Order of the Supreme Court in the matter of Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwar Devasthanam Vs State of Tamil Nadu & Others dated 18/03/2024.

The matter related to 3009.84 acres of land situated at Vadipatti village and a part of the Sirumalai hills. Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwar Devasthanam, a religious institution filed the petition saying that the land was a part of Inam title granted for the support of the Arulmugu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple, Madurai. After the Tamil Nadu Estate Abolition Act 28/1948 came into force, the land was taken by the Tamil Nadu government and then it was classified as unassessed wastelands.

According to the petitioner, Tamil Nadu government has no powers to classify the Inam lands as un-assessed wastelands under Act 26 of 48 and they have no right to classify the land as reserve forest and handover possession of the lands to the forest department.

In March 12, 2008 the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Madurai directed the Tamil Nadu government to handover the possession of the land to the applicant. However on appeal by the state, the Madras High Court, April 3, 2023 reversed the decree and dismissed the suit. The High Court upheld the declaration of the property as a reserve forest by the state government in 1977.

The SC directed notices to be issued, returnable in six weeks and in the meantime, the status quo over the land would be maintained and directed that Tamil Nadu government is at liberty to prevent further encroachment over the land.