As already mentioned, contempt is not in respect of one order alone. Be that as it may, in as much as the Hon’ble Division Bench is seized of the matter and interim stay has been granted till 08.04.2026, the present proceedings stand adjourned to 09.04.2026. 18.03.2026 ias To 1.K.J.Praveenkumar IAS, District Collector, Madurai. 2.J.Loganathan IPS, Commissioner of Police, Madurai City. 3.Yagna Narayanan, Executive Officer, Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple, Thirupparankundram, Madurai. 4.The Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu. 5.The Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Chennai. 6.The Union Home Secretary, Government of India, New Delhi. 7.The Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu.  G.R.SWAMINATHAN, J. ias CONT P(MD) Nos.3594 & 3657 of 2025 & CONT P(MD)No.252 of 2026 18.03.2026

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
DATED: 18.03.2026
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE G.R.SWAMINATHAN
CONT P(MD) Nos.3594 & 3657 of 2025
in
W.P.(MD)Nos.32317 & 33197 of 2025
&
CONT P(MD)No.252 of 2026 in
W.P.(MD)No.32317 of 2025
In Cont P(MD)No.3594 of 2025 : –
Rama.Ravikumar … Petitioner
Vs
1.K.J.Praveenkumar IAS,
District Collector, Madurai.
2.J.Loganathan IPS,
Commissioner of Police, Madurai City.
3.Yagna Narayanan, Executive Officer,
Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple,
Thirupparankundram,
Madurai. …. Contemnors /
Respondents 1, 2 & 4
4.The Union Home Secretary,
Government of India, New Delhi. … Respondent No.4
5.A.G.Inigo Divyan,
DCP (South), Madurai City. … Respondent No.5
For Petitioner(s):
Mr.G.Karthikeyan, Senior Counsel for Mr.RM.Arun Swaminathan
For Respondent(s): Mr.Veerakathiravan, Addl. Advocate General, assisted by Mr.C.Venkatesh Kumar
Special Government Pleader for R1
:Mr.Veerakathiravan, Addl. Advocate General,
Assisted by Mr.S.Ravi,
Additional Public Prosecutor for R2 & R5
:Mr.J.Ravindran, Additional Advocate General assisted by Mr.V.Chandrasekar for R3
: Mr.K.Govindarajan, DSGI, for R4
Prayer : Contempt Petition filed under Section 11 of the Contempt of
Courts Act, 1971 to punish upon the Contemnors/Respondents 1, 2 and
4 for the willful disobedience of the order passed by this Honourable Court in WP(MD) No.32317 of 2025 dated 01.12.2025 according to law.
In Cont P(MD)No.3657 of 2025
S.Paramasivam … Petitioner
Vs. 1.K.J.Praveenkumar IAS,
District Collector, Madurai.
2.J.Loganathan IPS,
Commissioner of Police, Madurai City.
3.Yagna Narayanan, Executive Officer,
Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple,
Thirupparankundram, Madurai. …. Contemnors /
Respondents 1, 2 & 5
For Petitioner(s):
Mr.K.P.S.Palanivelrajan, Senior Counsel for Mr.P.Subbiah
For Respondent(s): Mr.Veerakathiravan, Addl. Advocate General, assisted by Mr.C.Venkatesh Kumar
Special Government Pleader for R1
:Mr.Veerakathiravan, Addl. Advocate General,
Assisted by Mr.S.Ravi,
Additional Public Prosecutor for R2
:Mr.J.Ravindran, Additional Advocate General assisted by Mr.V.Chandrasekar for R3
Prayer : Contempt Petition filed under Section 11 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 to initiate contempt proceedings against the contemnors/respondents and punish him for the wilful disobedience of the order of the High Court in WP(MD)No.33197 of 2025 dated
01.12.2025.
In Cont P(MD)No.252 of 2026 : –
M.Arasupandi … Petitioner
Vs
1.K.J.Praveenkumar IAS,
District Collector, Madurai.
2.J.Loganathan IPS,
Commissioner of Police, Madurai City.
3.Yagna Narayanan, Executive Officer, Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple, Thirupparankundram, Madurai.
4.The Union Home Secretary, Government of India, New Delhi.
5.A.G.Inigo Divyan,
DCP (South), Madurai City.
6.The Chief Secretary to Government,
Government of Tamil Nadu, St.George Fort, Chennai-600 004.
7.The Secretary to Government,
HR & CE Department, Secretariat, St.George Fort, Chennai-600 004.
8.
(R8 was deleted from array of parties as per order of this Court dated 02.02.2026 in Cont.P.(MD)No.252 of 2026 by GRSJ)
9.Rama Ravikumar … Respondents

For Petitioner(s) : Mr.Niranjan S.Kumar
For Respondent(s): Mr.Veerakathiravan, Addl. Advocate General, assisted by Mr.C.Venkatesh Kumar
Special Government Pleader for R1, R6 & R7
:Mr.Veerakathiravan, Addl. Advocate General,
Assisted by Mr.S.Ravi,
Additional Public Prosecutor for R2 & R5
:Mr.J.Ravindran, Additional Advocate General assisted by Mr.V.Chandrasekar for R3
: Mr.K.Govindarajan, DSGI, for R4
Prayer : Contempt Petition filed under Section 11 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 to punish the respondents 1, 2, 3, 5 & 8 for their willful deliberate disobedience of the orders of this Court dated
03.12.2025, 04.12.2025 and 09.12.2025 passed by this Court in Cont.P.
(MD)No.3594 of 2025 in W.P.(MD)No.32317 of 2015.
COMMON ORDER
In respect of what has come to be known as “The Thiruparankundram Lighting order”, as many as three contempt petitions have been filed. They are Cont.P.(MD)Nos.3594 and 3657 of 2025 and Cont.P.(MD)No.252 of 2026. I had passed quite a few directions in these proceedings. The main order was passed in the writ
petition on 01.12.2025. The second order was passed by me on 03.12.2025. The third order was passed by me on 04.12.2025.
2.Since the month of Karthigai had elapsed, I suggested to the authorities that they could show symbolic respect to the Court’s order and still work out their legal remedies. This option was given to give a quietus. It is relevant to note that in contempt proceedings, the Court has a duty to issue appropriate directions for remedying or rectifying the things done in violation of the Court’s order and in that regard, the Court may even take restitutive measures at any stage of the proceedings (Vide (2017) 5 SCC 506). It was in that spirit, I had given a certain suggestion. The learned senior counsel appearing for the temple management specifically took time for deliberating over the said suggestion. Since a request for adjournment came from a highly respected senior counsel and it was for the purpose of considering the suggestion given by this Court, I had no reason to reject the request. I must record that adjournment was given by me in the face of vehement opposition by the learned senior counsel and other counsel appearing for the petitioners. Taking advantage of this window period of two weeks, LPAs have been filed. It is the right of the respondents to avail the judicial remedies open to them in law. But I cannot help feeling that I have taken for a ride. If adjournment is sought to come back to the Court with a response and the request is accepted by the Court,
fairness requires that the course of action undertaken is adopted. But probably all is fair not only in love and war but also litigation. On the last occasion, I had specifically directed that the police officials should
be present. Neither Loganathan nor Inigo Divyan are present in person. One of them is on record stating that he will face the
consequences.
3.I must record that the direction given by me on 03.12.2025 was put to challenge by Thiru.Praveenkumar, District Collector and Thiru.Loganathan, Commissioner of Police in L.P.A.(MD)No.8 of 2025. The said LPA was dismissed by the Hon’ble Division Bench on 04.12.2025. The Honorable Division Bench had held that it is for me to test whether the non-compliance of the direction given on 03.12.2025 was willful or not. Therefore, the contempt proceedings insofar as they pertain to breach of the direction on 03.12.2025 will have to go on. Otherwise, I would be failing in my duty by not complying with the direction of the Hon’ble Division Bench given in L.P.A.(MD)No.8 of 2025. It is relevant to note that the order dismissing L.P.A.(MD)No.8 of 2025 is yet to be challenged before the Hon’ble Supreme Court. So long as the order dated 04.12.2025 passed by the Hon’ble Division Bench in the aforesaid LPA is holding good, I will have to proceed with the contempt proceedings. As already mentioned, contempt is not in respect of one order alone. Be that as it may, in as much as the Hon’ble Division Bench is seized of the matter and interim stay has been granted till 08.04.2026, the present proceedings stand adjourned to 09.04.2026.
18.03.2026
ias
To
1.K.J.Praveenkumar IAS, District Collector, Madurai.
2.J.Loganathan IPS, Commissioner of Police, Madurai City.
3.Yagna Narayanan, Executive Officer, Arulmigu Subramania Swamy Temple, Thirupparankundram, Madurai.
4.The Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu.
5.The Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Chennai.
6.The Union Home Secretary, Government of India, New Delhi.
7.The Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu.
G.R.SWAMINATHAN, J.
ias
CONT P(MD) Nos.3594 & 3657 of 2025
&
CONT P(MD)No.252 of 2026
18.03.2026