CHENNAI, June 30, 2013: The Nanganallur Anjaneya temple is getting into another round of a legal wrangle, as the government tries to take more control of the popular shrine in south Chennai.

The state government has cancelled certain functional and financial exemptions given to theAnjaneya temple administration, and has sought to appoint a person to administer the popular temple.

Assailing this March 19 decision of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) department, Sri Maruthi Baktha Samajam Trust, which founded the temple, has moved the Madras high court for intervention. Justice KK Sasidharan, before whom the petition came up for hearing on Friday, has ordered notices to the government and the HR and CE secretary.

According to trustee R Prabakar, the Sri Adivyathikara Bhaktha Anjaneya temple was exempted from government control in November 1995, after a representation from the temple authorities. On October 11 last year, the department issued a show-cause notice saying donations and seva charges were being received and kept in the name of the trust and not that of the temple. The notice said the bank accounts too were operated in the name of the trust, which also purchased properties in its name. Denying the allegations, the trust submitted its reply.

Not satisfied with the explanation, the department withdrew and cancelled the exemptions enjoyed by the temple since November 1995. Questioning the legality of the cancellation the present writ petition has been filed.

When the matter came up for hearing, the temple trustees told the court that the trust was running it as per bylaws. Finding fault with the notice, the petition said the government unnecessarily distinguished between the trust and the temple, without realizing that the exemption from the HR&CE Act provisions for the temple was requested by the trust.

Source: The Times of India, DT. June 30, 2013.