Supreme Court Upholds Madras HC Order in TN Lamp-Lighting Row
Apex court dismisses petition, but reduces cost imposed on petitioner.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has declined to interfere with a Madras High Court order dismissing a plea over denial of permission to Hindu devotees to light a lamp on Thiruparankundram hill.
A three-judge bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha, Aravind Kumar and Shree Chandrashekhar upheld the order of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, while reducing the cost imposed on the petitioner from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5,000.
“While we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order passed by the High Court, we are of the opinion that imposition of costs quantified at Rs 50,000 is on the excessive side and can be reduced to Rs 5,000 in the facts and circumstances of the case. Ordered accordingly,” the court said in its June 2 order.
“Rest of the impugned order shall remain unaltered. With this clarification, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed,” it added.
On April 9, the High Court had dismissed a plea seeking directions to the Central government and the Archaeological Survey of India to act against Tamil Nadu officials for allegedly denying permission to Hindu devotees to light a lamp on the hill while allowing Ramzan-related activities.
The petition was filed as a public interest litigation by K.K. Ramesh, managing trustee of the Hindu Dharma Parishad in Madurai. The petitioner had alleged that district administration and police officials prevented devotees from lighting Karthigai Deepam atop Thiruparankundram hill despite an earlier high court order.
