CHENNAI: A church built on the Raghavan Canal in Parugampattu near Thiruvennainallur in Villupuram district was demolished on September 16, following a court order. The demolition, which faced significant opposition from the local Christian community, was carried out under heavy security, as authorities worked to remove the illegal structure.
The church had been constructed on the canal, sparking legal challenges that culminated in a High Court directive to the district administration, ordering the removal of the encroachment. Despite resistance from the Christian community, who staged protests and occupied the building to prevent its demolition, the authorities proceeded with the court-mandated action. The Christian community had earlier gathered in large numbers to protest the decision, delaying the demolition process.
On August 18, local Christians staged a protest at the district collector’s office, demanding that the church be spared from demolition. This led to delays in action from the Villupuram district administration. However, the High Court’s ruling left no room for leniency, and the district officials were compelled to proceed with the demolition.
The Hindu Munnani, a Hindu nationalist organisation, has been vocal in its criticism of what it sees as the Tamil Nadu government’s “double standards” in dealing with religious encroachments. The group pointed out that while the DMK government has demolished over 250 Hindu temples since coming to power in 2021, claiming they were built on public land, it appeared reluctant to take action against the illegal church. The group further accused the state government of inconsistency, citing the delay in demolishing other religious structures, including illegal mosques, despite court orders.
The Supreme Court had recently upheld a Madras High Court directive in the case of Masjid-e-Hidayah and Madarassa vs N Dinakaran, ordering the demolition of a mosque in Koyambedu, Chennai, that was deemed to have been “illegally constructed.” Hindu Munnani highlighted this case, questioning why similar action was not being taken against other illegal structures.
In response to the demolition, the Christian community expressed disappointment, arguing that the church was a place of worship for many in the area. However, legal experts have maintained that encroachments on public spaces, including water bodies, are not permissible under the law, regardless of the religious affiliation of the structure.
On Monday, September 16, Tamil Nadu authorities carried out a series of court-mandated actions, including the demolition of an illegal church and the reclamation of 25 acres of encroached land from a Christian educational trust. These moves were part of a larger effort to enforce legal rulings on land encroachments across the state.
The first incident took place in Villupuram district, where a church built on the Raghavan Canal in Parugampattu was demolished following a High Court order. The court had ruled that the church was illegally constructed on a water body, and the local administration was given 21 days to comply with the order. On Monday, police, fire, and rescue services, along with revenue authorities, arrived with heavy machinery to execute the demolition.
Despite stiff resistance from the local Christian community, who gathered in large numbers to block the road leading to the church and offered mass prayers, officials proceeded with the demolition. The police detained several protestors to prevent further obstruction, but they were released later in the day after the church was successfully razed. This marked the culmination of a prolonged legal battle, during which local Christians had repeatedly attempted to delay the demolition.
In a separate action on the same day, authorities reclaimed 25 acres of government land from St. John’s Educational Trust near Chennai. The trust had initially leased 5 acres of land in 1993 for a period of 20 years to operate the St. John’s International Residency School, affiliated with the CBSE board. However, when the lease expired in 2013, the school refused to vacate the property, continuing its activities without legal entitlement.
Upon further inspection, the Commissionerate of Land Administration (CLA) discovered that the school had illegally encroached an additional 20 acres of Anadheenam land, classified as unoccupied government land. The trust had built extensive facilities on the entire 25-acre plot, including hostels, staff quarters, swimming pools, and school buildings. The government estimated that the land and structures were worth nearly Rs. 500 crores.
The district administration had issued a lease cancellation notice to the school, which was contested by the trust in the High Court. However, with the school ceasing operations at the Poonamallee site post-pandemic and transferring its students to another location in Thiruvallur district, the court ruled in favor of the government. Following the court’s decision, revenue and police officials took possession of the land on September 16, sealing the buildings in Pazhanjur village.
The government has announced plans to repurpose the buildings, which have been vacant since 2021, into either a model school or a hospital. Instead of demolishing the structures, which would incur high costs, officials intend to renovate the facilities for public use.
