Thirupparankundram Deepam issue: Madurai Collector, Deputy Commissioner of Police inform court that they acted on their own

Justice G. R. Swaminathan of the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench), while hearing the contempt petitions related to the  Thirupparankundram Karthigai Deepam issue on Friday (January 9, 2026), said that though the contemnors had sufficient opportunity, they had not shown cause so far as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them. Unless proper cause was shown, charges would be framed against them on February 2, he said.

The Tamil Nadu government informed the court that Letters Patent Appeals had been filed against the contempt proceedings and were yet to be taken up by the Division Bench and sought time.

The contemnors — Madurai Collector K.J. Praveen Kumar; Commissioner of Madurai City Police J. Loganathan; Executive Officer of the  Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Thirupparankundram, Yagna Narayanan; and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Madurai South) A.G. Inigo Divyan — were present before the court.

The court took on record the affidavit filed by Chief Secretary N.  Muruganandam. The Collector and the Deputy Commissioner of Police informed that they had acted entirely on their own and not under dictation.

The judge said the court had on December 1 last year allowed petitions for lighting Karthigai Deepam atop the Thirupparankundram hill at the  deepathoon. The order was not obeyed by the temple authorities. To frustrate the order, Mr. Praveen Kumar passed a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023. Though this prohibitory order was quashed by the court, Mr. Inigo Divyan obstructed the implementation of the court order, the judge said.

He said the primary court order was upheld by the Division Bench on January 6. The Division Bench was pleased to declare that the  deepathoon area on the lower peak of the hill belongs to the temple. But, in connection with the Sandhanakoodu festival, the Dargah  authorities tied the flag of the Pallivasal on the tree in the  deepathoon area. Mr. Yagna Narayanan said the permission of the temple authorities was not obtained beforehand, the judge noted.

“The Executive Officer concedes that what was committed by the Dargah officials was a rank criminal trespass. Since the property of the temple was unauthorisedly trespassed upon by the Dargah officials, he stated that he would lodge a complaint immediately before the jurisdictional police and undertook to comply with all the necessary formalities to launch a proper criminal prosecution in this regard,” Justice Swaminathan said. He posted the matter for hearing to February 2.