The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Tamil Nadu HR&CE department to install boards in all Hindu temples stating non-Hindus were not permitted beyond the ‘Kodimaram’ (flagpole) area in the respective shrines and said Hindus also have fundamental right to profess and practice their religion.

Justice S Srimathy of the HC’s Madurai Bench gave the judgement while hearing a plea from D Senthilkumar, who sought directions to the respondents to permit Hindus alone to the Arulmigu Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple and its sub temples. He also wanted that display boards to that effect in all entrances be set up.

The famous Lord Murugan temple is located in Palani in Dindigul district.

The respondents were the Tamil Nadu government, represented by Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments, The Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) and the Executive Officer of the Palani temple.

The HR&CE department administers Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu.

Admitting the petition, the court directed the respondents to install boards indicating “non-Hindus are not allowed inside temple after Kodimaram” in the entrance of the temples, near the flagpole and at prominent places in the shrine.

“The respondents are directed not to allow the non-Hindus who do not believe in Hindu religion. If any Non-Hindu claims to visit particular deity in the temple, then the respondents shall obtain undertaking from the said non-Hindu that he is having faith in the deity and he would follow the customs and practices of Hindu religion and also abide by the temple customs and on such undertaking the said non-Hindu may be allowed to visit the temple,” the court ruled.

Further, whenever a such a person is allowed based on the undertaking the same shall be entered in the register which shall be maintained by the temple.

“The respondents shall maintain the temple premises by strictly following the agamas (temple rules), customs and practices of the temple,” the judge said.

The respondents submitted the said writ petition was filed only for the Palani temple and the order may be restricted to it alone.

“But the issue raised is larger issue and the same ought to be applicable to all Hindu temples, hence the plea of the respondents is rejected. As stated supra these restrictions would ensure communal harmony among different religions and ensure peace in the society. Therefore the State Government, the HR&CE department, the respondents and all persons who are involved in temple administration are directed to follow the directions to all Hindu temples,” the court said.

The people belonging to Hindu religion have right to profess and practice the faith.

“Likewise, people belonging to other religions have right to profess and practice their religion. But the customs and practice of their respective religion cannot be interfering with and any interference ought to be curtailed. The temple is not (a) picnic spot or tourist spot. Even in Arulmighu Brahadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur the other religion people are allowed to admire and appreciate the architectural monuments of the temple, but not after Kodimaram.” “While admiring the architectural monuments the people cannot use the premises as picnic spot or tourist spot and the temples premises ought to be maintained with reverence and as per agamas. Therefore, the rights guaranteed under the Articles is not granting any right to the respondents to allow the other religion people if they do not have any faith and belief in the Hindu religion. Moreover, the rights are guaranteed to all religions and there cannot be any bias in applying such right,” the court added.

The High Court also referred to certain incidents of non-Hindus allegedly entering temples.

“It was also reported that in Arulmighu Brahadeeswarar Temple a group of persons belonging to other religion had treated the temple premises as picnic spot and had non vegetarian food inside the temple premises. Likewise, recently on 11.01.2024 a newspaper had reported that a group of persons belonging to the other religion had entered the Arulmighu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai with “their sacred book” near sanctum and sanctorum and was attempting to do their prayers” there.

These incidents are absolutely interfering with the fundamental rights guaranteed to the Hindus under the Constitution, the judge said.

“The Hindus also have fundamental right to profess and practice their religion freely and propagate their religion without interfering in their way of practice. Therefore, the Hindus have right to maintain their temples as per their customs, practices and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department is having duty to protect the temples from such unwanted incidents.” “In fact, in the above narrated incidents the Department had failed to protect the fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution,” the court added.

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In a story chillingly similar to the acclaimed TV series Ozark, an Indian-origin couple living in the UK has been sentenced to 33 years in prison each for a crime that transcends international borders. Arti Dhir, 59, and Kavaljitsinh Raijada, 35, from West London’s Ealing, are at the centre of a multi-million-pound drug trafficking operation that spanned continents, mirroring the intricate webs of deceit portrayed in the popular crime drama.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) unraveled the elaborate scheme when the Australian Border Force intercepted over half a tonne of cocaine, valued at a staggering 57 million pounds, which is over Rs 600 crore, upon its arrival in Sydney in May 2021. The drug-laden cargo, cleverly concealed within metal toolboxes, was traced back to the seemingly ordinary couple who had established a front company named Viefly Freight Services to facilitate their drugs smuggling network.

The Cocaine Caper

A court heard that the couple’s front company had dispatched the narcotics via a commercial flight from the UK. When authorities cracked open the metal toolboxes, they discovered a staggering 514 kilograms of cocaine. The street value of this illicit cargo in Australia, where drug prices soar well above those in the UK, was estimated to be 57 million pounds.

Dhir and Raijada vehemently denied the charges of exporting cocaine to Australia and money laundering. However, a jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted them on 12 counts of exportation and 18 counts of money laundering.

Web Of Deceit Unraveled

The NCA connected the dots leading to the convicted couple. Raijada’s fingerprints on the plastic wrappings of the toolboxes and receipts found at their residence were key evidence linking them to the crime. The agency revealed that the couple had orchestrated 37 consignments to Australia since June 2019, with 22 acting as decoys and 15 containing cocaine.

Both Dhir and Raijada had prior employment at a Heathrow flight services company, exploiting their insider knowledge of airport freight procedures to cloak their illicit activities. The intricate scheme, however, began to unravel when the couple was arrested at their Hanwell residence on June 21, 2021, leading to the discovery of substantial amounts of cash and gold-plated silver bars.

Money Trail And A Failsafe

Investigations in February last year exposed the extent of the couple’s hidden wealth. NCA officers uncovered almost 3 million pounds in cash concealed in boxes and suitcases at a storage unit in West London.

Financial inquiries revealed that despite declaring meager profits, the couple had purchased a flat in Ealing for 800,000 pounds (approx. Rs 8.5 crore) and a Land Rover for 62,000 pounds. Their cash deposits of nearly 740,000 pounds into 22 different bank accounts since 2019 raised suspicions of extensive money laundering.

“Arti Dhir and Kavaljitsinh Raijada used their insider knowledge of the air freight industry to traffic cocaine worth tens of millions of pounds from the UK to Australia, where they knew they could maximise their revenue,” Piers Phillips, NCA Senior Investigating Officer, said as quoted by news agency PTI.

Murder Allegations And Legal Battle

The couple faced extradition sought by India on charges of murdering their adopted son, Gopal Sejani, in Gujarat. The 11-year-old’s tragic fate unfolded in February 2017, with Indian police alleging a sinister plot involving adoption, insurance, and a staged kidnapping for an insurance payout.

The accused, who traveled to Gujarat in 2015 to adopt Gopal, promised the young boy a better life in London. However, Gopal was abducted, stabbed, and left by a roadside on February 8, 2017.

The couple reportedly placed an advertisement in a local newspaper, enticing prospective parents with the promise of bringing an adopted child to live in London. Gopal, a farm boy living with his older sister and her husband, became the target of their plan. Indian police alleged that Dhir and Raijada had ulterior motives beyond providing a home for Gopal.

India’s extradition request was denied in 2019, followed by an unsuccessful appeal in the High Court in London in 2020. 

Ahead of the budget session of the Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounded a warning to the opposition urging them to not disrupt the proceedings. “I hope the MPs who are in the habit of ripping apart democratic values will self-introspect on what they did in their term as members of Parliament,” he said.

“Those who contributed positively to the Parliament will be remembered by all. But those members who caused disruptions will hardly be remembered. This budget session is an opportunity for repentance and to leave positive footprints. I urge all the MPs not to miss this opportunity and perform their best,” PM Modi added.

“I am of the firm belief that the country is moving forward and touching new heights of progress … the country is experiencing all-round and inclusive development,” he said.

The Budget Session, which is scheduled to conclude on February 9, will also witness Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting the interim budget on February 1.

PM Modi also said that the BJP would present the full budget once the new government is formed.

“We are going to follow the tradition of presenting a full budget after the new government is formed,” PM Modi said.