The Madras High Court Bench here has quashed the proceedings of Assistant Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district, on December 9, 2012 appointing a Fit Person to manage the affairs of Ramanatheeswarar Parvathavarthini Amman Temple at Natarajapuram in Sivaganga district.
Justice S.S. Sundar quashed the proceedings on the sole ground that the Assistant Commissioner had not followed the basic principles of natural justice and issued a show cause notice to the temple management before appointing a HR and CE officer as the Fit Person.
The order was passed while allowing a writ petition filed by the temple, represented by its secretary S. Chinthamani, in 2013.
The case of the petitioner was that the temple in question was under the administrative control of 24 families of Nagarathar community.
Private institution
Claiming it to be a private institution which did not accept public contribution and that people were allowed to worship the deity only with prior permission of the management, the temple secretary said the HR and CE department had no authority to interfere in its affairs.
However, the Assistant Commissioner disputed the denominational status of the temple and contended that a Fit Person was appointed due to certain irregularities in its management.
