Madras HC Grants Bail To Advocate and Three Others In Temple Demolition Case

The Madras High Court was hearing a bail application filed by Adv Shankar who was recently arrested along with three other people for obstructing the Government authorities from demolishing a four hundred year old structure whose ownership was dubious.

The State had claimed that the old structure had collapsed while they were trying to remove the encroachers who tried to stop the authorities from doing their work. Advocate Vrinda Ramesh, who was appointed as the Advocate Commissioner by the Court had found out foul play in the State’s claim, based on which they had been arrested after a complaint by the Assistant Commissioner of Hindu religious and Charitable Endowment Trusts, Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Thirukovil.

The Court was of the opinion that they themselves cannot remain silent to the very illegal act of demolishing the old religious structure that was skillfully done in the disguise of trying to ward off Advocate Shankar and three other people after photographs were shown to the Court. The petitioners who had filed the bail applications were later granted bail with an execution of a bond of Rs.15,000 and two sureties, while directing them to appear before the Police authorities everyday. This judgment was passed by Justice Jagdish Chandra