The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation seeking a CBI investigation into the alleged disappearance of two idols from Arulmighu Kalatheeswarar Abirami Temple, also known as Abirami Amman Temple, in Dindigul.
The Division Bench comprising Justice C.V. Karthikeyan and Justice R. Sakthivel held that the petitioner must follow the procedure prescribed by law before approaching the High Court.
Background
The petitioner, Raja, a social activist, had challenged an order dated January 22, 2026, passed by the Additional Director General of Police, Idol Smuggling Prevention Division.
The petition concerned allegations regarding two idols - the Karudalvar idol and the Bala Durgai Amman idol attached with pillars - which the petitioner claimed were missing from the temple. The complaint initially sent to the Chief Minister's Cell was subsequently forwarded to the police authority.
The petitioner sought transfer of the complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and a direction to register and investigate the matter.
The Bench emphasised that the prescribed legal procedure must be followed before seeking judicial intervention.
"The procedure known to law has to be followed by the petitioner and by everybody else. That requires a proper complaint to be lodged before the appropriate investigating agency and thereafter to approach the concerned jurisdictional Magistrate Court or the Court having jurisdiction to deal with that specific offence to seek further relief, in case no action had been taken on the complaint."
The Court further observed that,
"merely sending a letter to the Chief Minister's Cell and thereafter filing a public interest litigation would not advance the petitioner's case". It granted liberty to the petitioner to pursue the matter through the procedure established by law.
The Bench also recorded the submission of the first respondent that the two idols were actually available in the temple but were not being worshipped due to damage.
The Madurai Bench dismissed the writ petition and imposed no costs.
Case Details:
Case Title: Raja v. State & Another
Case Number: W.P.(MD) No. 25928 of 2026
Judge: Justice C.V. Karthikeyan and Justice R. Sakthivel
Decision Date: 08 September 2026
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