Tamil Nadu temple land fraud arrests intensify investigations

On August 5 2026, a Judicial Magistrate Court in Dindigul approved three‑day police custody for four suspects in a fraud involving the Dhandayuthapani Swamigal Mutt’s land in Palani, valued at about Rs 2 crore. The suspects – trust functionary Murugadas, purchasers Vellathurai and Sethupathi, and advocate Anwardeen – were taken into custody by the CB‑CID for interrogation and later lodged in Madurai Central Prison.

In a related probe, Madurai City Crime Branch‑III arrested three additional individuals, including K Anbalagan, a former personal assistant to the Ramanathapuram collector, for the illegal registration of 1.79 acre belonging to the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple trust. The case, originally filed in 2016 and involving power‑of‑attorney fraud and a mortgage deed, now lists 19 accused, many of whom are current or former government officials.

The two investigations together have resulted in at least seven arrests and highlight ongoing concerns over the misuse of temple trust lands in Tamil Nadu.