Tamil Nadu: Madurai Adheenam pontiff accuses businessman of cheating, seeks restoration of mutt land

Madurai: The 293rd pontiff of Madurai Adheenam has accused a Pondicherry-based businessman of cheating his predecessor of land that belongs to the historic Shaivite mutt.
"Old Adheenam of Madurai gave 1200 acres of land to Shanmughan of Pondicherry for a few years but he cheated. I have already requested the PM to restore it and I am going to meet him again soon and demand that the land be restored as soon as possible," Harihara Desika Paramacharya told ANI. "If the land is reclaimed then land will be given to build an agricultural college and schools," the pontiff added.
The pontiff said that he had been fighting legally to get back the 1,200 acres of property of the Mutt since 2019.
The Madurai Adeenam's pontiff alleged that the businessman had "cheated" the Madurai Adeenam administration by acting as lessor and lessee of his own company by illegally and fraudulently using the general power of attorney of the contract given on behalf of the 292nd Adheenaam pontiff.
The pontiff said the businessman registered a memorandum of understanding in the South District Registrar's Office, leasing the land to his company for 99 years, which is illegal.
He said when the mutt learnt that about 1200 acres of land has been "illegally leased", a notice of cancellation of the lease contract was been sent to the concerned person on behalf of the Mutt in 2019. (ANI)