‘Queensland amusement park can’t squat on public property without paying a penny’

It is for the govt. and a temple to resolve a dispute between them over title: HC

A tussle between the Revenue department and a temple over the ownership of a valuable property spread over 19 acres on Chennai-Bengaluru highway cannot be a reason for the management of Queensland amusement park to squat on the land and exploit it commercially for decades together, the Madras High Court has held.

Justice M. Sundar observed that a private institution could not be permitted to squat on a public property without paying a penny either to the State government or the temple since 1997. It was the duty of the courts to protect and safeguard properties of religious and charitable institutions from wrongful claims, he wrote.

The judge directed the Kasi Viswanathaswamy temple management to kick-start proceedings under Section 78 of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Act of 1959 by reporting about the alleged encroachment to the officials concerned who were empowered to initiate eviction proceedings in accordance with law.