HC grants two months to demolish temple on pathway at Nochikuppam

The Madras High Court on Friday granted two more months to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) and the Greater Chennai Police to demolish a temple on the pathway between two blocks at the tenements at Nochikuppam in Chennai.

Justices S. Vaidyanathan and T.V. Thamilselvi wrote that God never asked anyone to construct places of worship by encroaching upon public spaces. Every such encroachment, irrespective of the religion, must be removed, they said while passing interim orders on a contempt of court petition moved by a resident of Nochikuppam tenements.

When Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran cited practical difficulties in demolishing the temple due to the religious sentiments attached to it, the senior judge in the Bench said people could be asked to construct a temple on a private property after obtaining requisite clearances and shift the idols to the new temple after conducting “Balalayam”.

S. Anjalai of Nochikuppam had moved the contempt petition against Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi and Commissioner of Police Shankar Jiwal for allegedly not complying with the demolition order passed by a Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran (since retired) and Thamilselvi on June 16, 2021.

While disposing of her writ petition against construction of a temple on the pathway between blocks 12 and 13 at the TNUHDB tenements, the Bench led by Kirubakaran said: “Gods do not knock on the doors of the devotees to construct temples, mosques or churches by encroaching upon public properties.”

The judges said: “Places of worship are meant not only for worship and to offer prayers but to give peace of mind, spread the message of positivity and love. However, nowadays it seems the places of worship have become places of discrimination and power centres.

“That apart, places of worship have become subjects of controversy nowadays as many people are using them to create law and order problem, causing violence and terror resulting in loss of precious lives and destruction of properties. It is unfortunate that people are divided based on religion.

“Places of worship are used to achieve one’s personal motive. Even for illegal purposes, the places of worship are being misused.  Properties are being encroached illegally for construction of religious structures in order to justify encroachments made by them.”

Then, the court had ordered demolition of the superstructure within one week with police assistance. Since the order was not complied with, the petitioner had moved the present contempt plea.