Tamil Nadu: Former Sub-Registrar Arrested In Rs 60 Crore Meenakshi Amman Temple Land Scam
The Central Crime Branch arrested the former sub-registrar, taking the total number of arrests to six in the alleged Rs 60 crore temple land scam.
Published : August 21, 2026 at 4:09 PM IST
Madurai: Former sub-registrar Anantharaman has been arrested in connection with the alleged illegal transfer and registration of land worth around Rs 60 crore belonging to the Meenakshi Amman Temple Trust in Tamil Nadu's Madurai, police said on Friday. With his arrest, the number of people held in the case has risen to six.
The case relates to around 1.7 to 2 acres of land in Madurai’s Tallakulam area belonging to a trust formed in 1930 for providing services to the Meenakshi Amman Temple and Alagar Koil. The property was allegedly transferred to private individuals through forged documents and changes in revenue records and patta, despite restrictions on its sale or mortgage.
Based on a complaint lodged by Meenakshi Amman Temple Joint Commissioner Chellathurai, the Madurai Metropolitan Police Central Crime Branch registered a case against 19 people, including government officials, former officials, sub-registrars and private individuals.
Those named in the case include former Tahsildar Anbazhagan, former Village Administrative Officer (VAO) Arasan, former Murappanadu Sub-Registrar Anantharaman, Prakash, Prashanth Chandanakaruppan, Rajkumar, Ilayaraja and Aneesh, among others.
A senior police officer from the Madurai City Central Crime Branch, who is investigating the case, said that the interrogation has been intensified regarding the 19 individuals accused in the case.
"The six individuals recently arrested are key figures involved in this land scam. Depending on the nature of the fraud, more arrests could follow, though nothing can be said about that at this stage," the official told ETV Bharat.
The investigation began with the arrest of Rajkumar, a resident of Karambakkudi in Pudukkottai district. Based on the information gathered during the probe, Ilayaraja of Usilampatti, who allegedly played a key role in the scam, was subsequently arrested.
Former Madurai North Tahsildar Anbazhagan was also arrested. Police alleged that he was involved in removing the temple’s ownership from revenue records and transferring the patta in the names of Ramayi Aiyar and others. Following his arrest, Revenue Administration Commissioner Muruganandam ordered his suspension
Kalikumar, a resident of Sirumalai in Dindigul district, was later arrested for his alleged involvement in the illegal registration of mortgage deeds relating to the temple land. Arasan, a former VAO, was subsequently arrested for his alleged role in the transfer of revenue records and patta relating to the temple property.
The latest arrest is that of Anantharaman, the former sub-registrar of the Murappanadu Sub-Registrar’s Office in Thoothukudi district. Police alleged that he was involved in the registration of documents connected with the disputed temple land.
The Central Crime Branch is continuing its investigation into the alleged land title transfers, preparation of forged documents, registration of deeds and subsequent transactions, police said.
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