Temple case MR.JUSTICE V. LAKSHMINARAYANAN WP No. 39448 of 2025 and WMP.No.44295 of 2025 T.R.Ramesh

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 17-10-2025
CORAM
THE HON’BLE MR.JUSTICE V. LAKSHMINARAYANAN
WP No. 39448 of 2025 and WMP.No.44295 of 2025
T.R.Ramesh
S/o. Dr. T.N.Ramachandran, Flat 3b, Nataraj
Apartments 17 D Silva Road Mylapore Chennai 04
..Petitioner(s)
Vs
1. The State Of Tamil Nadu
Public Information Officer, Rep. By Its Secretary
Tourism Culture And Religious Endowments
Department, Secretariat Fort St.George Chennai
09
2. The Public Information Officer Rep. By
Commissioner, Hindu Religious And Charitable
Endowments Department, Nungambakkam Igh Road Chennai 34
3. The State Information Commissioner
The Tamil Nadu State Information Commission,
Block No. 19 Government Farm Village, Panept
Nandanam Chennai 35
..Respondent(s)
Prayer: Directing the respondents herein to publish all information mandated under Section 4(1) (b) (c) and (d) of the Right to Information Act including but not limited to Government orders and approvals issued by the Religious Endowments department notifications, approvals and orders issued by the commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department, tender and other notifications involving funds and properties of Hindu Religious Institutions issued by authorities in the said Department all within a reasonable time after their issuance as fixed by this Hon’ble Court.
For Petitioner(s): Mr. B.Jagannathan
For Respondent(s): Mr.S.Ravichandran, standing counsel for
HR & CE (R1 & R2)
Mr. Vigneswaran, Standing Counsel for R3
ORDER
Mr. S.Ravichandran, learned standing counsel, takes notice for respondents 1 & 2. Mr. Vigneswaran, learned standing counsel, takes notice for the 3rd respondent.
2. The simple prayer that the petitioner seeks is a direction to publish the information under the control of respondents 1 and 2 like notifications, approvals, tenders, and other notifications involving funds and properties of the religious institution on to the website maintained by the Department. He has produced a screenshot to show that the last of the information uploaded on the internet is of the year 2022.
3. It is nobody’s case that the HR and CE Department has become dysfunctional post 2022. The Department claims it is vibrant and is taking care of all the requirements that is required by the religious institutions in the State of Tamil Nadu. The provision on which Mr.B.Jagannathan relies upon is under the Right to Information Act under Section(4)(1)(b)(C) and 4(1)(b)(d). Though the petitioner has sought for an injunction for carrying out uploading all the notifications, the interim prayer and the final prayer are more or less on the same lines. Hence, for the present, I am not inclined to pass the mandatory direction without hearing the respondents.
4. Learned counsel appearing for respondents 1 and 2 states that he will get instructions and report this Court by 29.10.2025. Post this matter under the same caption on 29.10.2025.
17-10-2025
KJ
To
1. The State Of Tamil Nadu
Public Information Officer, Rep. By Its Secretary
Tourism Culture And Religious Endowments
Department, Secretariat Fort St.George Chennai
09
2. The Public Information Officer Rep. By Commissioner, Hindu Religious And Charitable
Endowments Department, Nungambakkam Igh
Road Chennai 34
3. The State Information Commissioner The Tamil Nadu State Information Commission,
Block No. 19 Government Farm Village, Panept
Nandanam Chennai 35 
V.LAKSHMINARAYANAN, J.
kj
WP No. 39448 of 2025 and WMP.No.44295 of 2025 17-10-2025