DMK functionary arrested in Rs 50-crore Srirangam temple land fraud case

A local DMK functionary has been arrested in connection with an alleged multi-crore land fraud involving property belonging to the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, police said on Friday.

M Ramkumar, DMK’s Srirangam area secretary, was intercepted by a special team of the City Crime Branch (CCB) near Panjapur on the Tiruchi-Madurai highway on October 1.

Police sources said Ramkumar was travelling towards Madurai to attend a hearing on his anticipatory bail plea. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court dismissed the plea later that day, following which he was remanded to judicial custody.

According to police, the CCB registered a case on September 13 against Ramkumar and five others, including former Srirangam sub-registrar Vanitha. The case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by temple Joint Commissioner S Sivaramkumar.

Investigators allege that the accused used forged documents in 2022 to unlawfully acquire a 7,515-square-foot parcel of temple land, estimated to be worth around Rs 50 crore. An office reportedly associated with the DMK was subsequently constructed on the disputed property.

Ramkumar and the other accused have been booked under several provisions relating to cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

The investigation into the alleged fraudulent transfer of the temple property is underway.

With inputs from PTI.