MADURAI: Government land measuring about 17 acres in Dindigul town (near Dindigul bus stand) which was assigned to the American Madurai Mission many decades ago strictly for educational purposes has now been misused by the Church of South India (CSI) administration for commercial purposes and construction of shops, according to a complaint made to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last week.
Demanding for a CBI probe and criminal action against the persons who are involved in this alleged fraud, the complainant Mr.D.Devasagayam had sent his request to the officials of investigative agency in Madurai and New Delhi by providing them with various documents to substantiate his complaint dated October 24th 2025 and also demanded quick action against the town survey officers who colluded with the CSI Trust Administration administrators.
“The government land measuring 16 acres and 17 cents (Town Survey No.1113) in Dindigul town was assigned to the American Madurai Misison through a G.O. dated 4-12-1933. It was meant only for educational purposes with a clear condition that the land should not be used for commerical purposes. However, the CSI administration has constructed 350 shops, leased them and gave them for rent by collecting ‘Pagadi’ from each shop since the year 1995. This matter went to the courts also but no action was taken till now. So, I am requesting the CBI to initiate action against CSITA administrators who had illegally sold the government land in Dindigul,” Mr.D.Devasagayam of Srivilliputtur in Virudhunagar district has said in his complaint.
GOVT LAND WAS SOLD BY THEM:
The complainant Mr.Devasagayam had mentioned that in the year 1976, the then Dindigul sub-collector had recommended that the land be taken back by the govenrment for breach of conditions since some portions of the land were used for commercial purposes.
“Again in the year 1995, they sold 18,000 sq ft of land and in the year 2006 another 12,000 sq.ft was sold to a few individuals and all the names are mentioned. The Commissioner of Land Administration and the Dindigul Distirct Collector in the year 1999 were aware of this serious issue and action was recommended due to violations. Despite this, no proper action was taken till now to retrieve the government land. This matter went to the court also….Still, violations are taking place. Construction of shops is happening. Unaccounted money in lakhs of rupees is being collected from each shop,” the complainant has alleged in his request to the CBI by poviding all documents and names to the investigation agency.
He also alleged that a few town survey officers in Dindigul town had illegally changed the land classification of 16.17 acres government poromboke land into Ryotwari housing plots and thereby aided the CSI administration to sell the govenrment land illegally as private housing plots.
Mr.D.Devasagayam had enclosed the copies of all the G.O.s, court documents, govenrment letters, photographic evidence and land recrods to the CBI in his detailed complaint in October 2025 which was sent to the CBI Deputy Director in Madurai and the Enforcement Directorate also.
