M/S.Arulmigu Mutharamman and Arulmigu Sivasudalaimadaswamy v. The Superintendent of Police

ORDER Seeking to direct the respondents 1 to 3 to provide adequate police protection to the petitioner and the villagers of Sundapattivilai for laying temporary electric lights and conducting the temple festival scheduled from

13.07.2026 to 15.07.2026 considering representation dated 26.05.2026 in vide complaint reference No.OLC5892600023100 peacefully and without interference from the 4th respondent or any other person, this writ petition is filed.

¶2The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner's village, namely Sundapattivilai is situated within the jurisdiction of Dharmapuram and Rajakkamangalam Village Panchayat, Agasteeswaram Taluk, Kanyakumari District. The said village is situated on the Ethamozhi and Puthoor Road. The residents of Sundapattivilai village have been celebrating the annual Temple Festival of Arulmigu Mutharamman and Arulmigu Sivasudalaimadaswamy temple every year. During the year 2019, certain disputes had arisen regarding the conduct of the festival and installation of decorative sounds and lights. Subsequently, a peace committee was conducted and thereafter, the festival was conducted peacefully. For the current year, the Temple Festival is scheduled to be held from 13.07.2026 to 15.07.-2026. Under such circumstances, the 4th respondent had restrained the petitioner and villagers from erecting temporary decorative electric lights in the areas where 31 members of the aforesaid temples are residing, situated in bearing Door No Series.21. In this regard, a representation has been given seeking adequate police protection to the 2nd respondent for facilitating them for installing declarative lights. However, the same is not considered. Hence, this writ petition.

¶3The learned Government Advocate(Crl.side) submitted that the representation is not only for giving necessary police protection for installing temporary electric decorative lights, but also for conducting Chariot procession, anticipating law and order problem between the petitioner faction and the 4th respondent group. Permission for conduct of procession is not granted so far. However, the same is not reflected in the prayer before this Court.

¶4The 4th respondent submitted that he hailed from the village, namely Puthanmughilanvilai and four temples, namely Narayanasamy temple, Isakkiamman temple, Sivasudalai Madasamy temple and Mannaraja temple are situated in that village. The festival of all those four temples would be conducted in rotation every year. It is only because the petitioner faction had restrained the 4th respondent faction from installing the decorative temple lights during the Temple Festival of the aforesaid said temples, they have stopped the petitioner from doing so this year.

¶5Heard the learned counsels on either side and carefully perused the materials available on record.

¶6The petitioner and the 4th respondent are present before this Court. This Court explored the possibility of conducting the festivals in respect of both temples peacefully by initiating a talk with the petitioner as well as the 4th respondent. The 4th respondent had fairly agreed that the petitioner and his people can very well install the decorative lights for the purpose of Arulmigu Mutharamman and Arulmigu Sivasudalaimadaswamy temple festival. For which, he insisted that, in a similar way, his temple committee should not be restrained by the petitioner and his committee from installing lights during the temple festival of their temple. The same was fairly agreed by the petitioner. However, as far as the conduct of chariot festival is concerned, this Court hereby directs the 3rd respondent to afford necessary permission for conduct of the chariot procession. It is made clear that the procession will frequent to the houses exclusively belonging to the members of their temple alone. The 4th respondent is directed to co-operate with the same. In a similar manner, the chariot procession would also be permitted to proceed to the houses of the members of all the four temples at the time of respective temple festivals.

¶7With the above directions, this Writ Petition stands disposed of.

06.07.2026 NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No gbg Note : Issue order copy on 10.07.2026. TO:-

1.The Superintendent of Police, Kanyakumari District, Nagercoil.

2.The Inspector of Police, Rajakamangalam Police Station, Kanyakumari District.

L.VICTORIA GOWRI, J. gbg

3.The Sub Inspector of Police, Ethamozhi Police Station, Kanyakumari District.

4.The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai. Dated

06.07.2026

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 06.07.2026 CORAM: THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE L.VICTORIA GOWRI Arulmigu Mutharamman and Arulmigu Sivasudalaimadaswamy, Represented by its President, A.Krishnan. ... Petitioner Vs. 1.The Superintendent of Police, Kanyakumari District, Nagercoil. 2.The Inspector of Police, Rajakamangalam Police Station, Kanyakumari District. 3.The Sub Inspector of Police, Ethamozhi Police Station, Kanyakumari District. 4.N.Muralidharan ... Respondents PRAYER : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuance of Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 1 to 3 to provide adequate police protection to the petitioner and the villagers of Sundapattivilai for laying temporary electric lights and conducting the temple festival scheduled from 13.07.2026 to 15.07.2026 considering representation dated 26.05.2026 in vide complaint reference No.OLC5892600023100 peacefully and without interference from the 4th respondent or any other person, within a time frame as may be fixed by this Court. For Petitioner : Mr.S.R.Sathan Boopathy for M/s.Aran Legal Consultancy For R1-R3 : Mr.C.Susikumar Government Advocate(Crl.side) For R4 : Party-in-person