T.P.NATARAJAN Vs. COMMISSIONER, MALABAR DEVASWOM BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners assert to be the devotees of the Chovva Temple and claim to be interested in the affairs of the said temple, at Kannur district. According to them, the temple was originally under the management of the Chirakkal Kovilakam and is presently being supervised by the Malabar Devaswom Board.

(2.) The petitioners allege that there was large scale misappropriation of funds and rampant instances of mismanagement by the temple renovation committee during the period 2016-17 and their accusation against the third respondent/ Executive Officer is that he is also complicit in such activities. They refer to Ext.P1, which is the decision taken by the Commissioner of the Devaswom Board on 30.12.2017, in which, they allege that the present incumbent in the office of the Executive Officer is also implicated and that certain action is proposed against him also.

(3.) On such allegation, they say that the third respondent/ present incumbent in the office of the Executive Officer is not competent and should not be allowed to go on with the affairs of the temple, especially to convene a meeting which is to be entrusted with the responsibility to conduct the annual festival of the temple. They, therefore, impugn Ext.P3, which, they say, is a copy of the notice issued by the third respondent/Executive Officer to convene such a meeting.