HC grants interim bail to Sub-Registrar Justin Manikandan Subramanian in Palani land registration case.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court said it was inclined to grant interim protection to the petitioner subject to certain conditions, considering that a substantial part of the registration process had already been completed by the then Sub-Registrar and to balance the interests of the investigation against the liberty of the petitioner. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday (July 17, 2026) granted interim bail till August 4 to sub-registrar Justin Manikandan Subramanian, who was suspended in the Palani math plot fraudulent registration case.

Justice K. Rajasekar directed the petitioner to report before the CB-CID at 10.30 am every day from July 27 to August 3 except Sunday and cooperate in the investigation. The court was hearing an anticipatory bail application by Justin Manikandan Subramanian.

Played with fabricated records: prosecution

The charge is that the property belongs to mathematics. He was allegedly caught with fabricated records and in collusion with officials, including officials of the registration department. The petitioner, who was working as a sub-registrar, allegedly registered the impugned document. Justin Manikandan Subramanian, who was arrested, filed the application.

Senior counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner was falsely accused only on the premise that he had registered the impugned document. According to him, the entire process was completed by the then Sub-Registrar S. Balasundar. The petitioner only assigned a document number and handed the document over to the (stamp) collector.

The state government said it has taken serious note of the manner in which the math property was allegedly seized and even the district registrar, a suspect in the case, has been suspended. It was the petitioner who was in charge when the regular sub-registrar was on leave and completed the registration by allotting a registration number. Therefore, there was strong suspicion about the role played by the petitioner. The larger conspiracy behind the registration of the document was still under investigation and sufficient time was needed to establish the role of each accused person. The petitioner figured in two previous criminal cases of a similar nature, he said.

The judge said that on date the petitioner was alleged to have completed the registration process by allotting the registration number. At the same time, the prosecution took the specific position that the larger conspiracy is still under investigation and the exact role of each of the accused is yet to be established.

The court said that since the FIR was registered only recently, there should be no hindrance in the investigation. Given that the substantial part of the registration process had already been completed by the sub-registrar at the time, and in order to balance the interests of the investigation and the freedom of the petitioner, the court is inclined to grant provisional protection to the petitioner under certain conditions. She scheduled the next hearing for August 4.

Polling is in progress

Meanwhile, CB-CID SP Shajitha conducted an inquiry with officials of Hindu Religious and Charitable Foundations and Registration Departments in Dindigul. The CB-CID team conducted an investigation in Palani. The CB-CID on Thursday launched an investigation into the fraudulent registration of 1.35 acres of land belonging to Arulmig Dhandapani Swamigal Madam at Palani foothills in Dindigul district.

Published – 17 Jul 2026 22:51 IST