‘State not the owner of temple properties’: Read what the Supreme Court said in its verdict slamming the Tamil Nadu government for illegally acquiring temple land

What happened: The Supreme Court declared void a 2017 gift deed that transferred temple land in Erode District to the Tamil Nadu government, and set aside the Madras High Court decision that had dismissed the challenge to it. Key numbers: 1 acre and 10 cents of land in Kodumudi Village, Erode District. Gift deed dated August 30, 2017. Why it matters: The Court held that the State is custodian of temple property and holds it in trust for the deity, and that a gift of inam property is void ab initio under Section 41(1) of the HR&CE Act, 1959, with no sanction able to validate it.

The Supreme Court declared void a 2017 gift deed that transferred temple land in Erode District to the Tamil Nadu government, and set aside the Madras High Court decision that had dismissed the challenge to it.

The Court held that the State is custodian of temple property and holds it in trust for the deity, and that a gift of inam property is void ab initio under Section 41(1) of the HR&CE Act, 1959, with no sanction able to validate it.