Stone pillar atop Madurai hill belongs to Jains, not Hindus: TN govt to HC

THE state government told the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday that the ancient stone pillar or 'deepathoon' located atop the Thiruparankundram hill belongs to Jains and not Hindus.

- JEGADEESWARI PANDIAN @Madurai

The state also told a bench of Justices G Jayachandran and KK Ramakrishnan that the relief sought in the petition is in the nature of a Public Interest Litigation but was styled as a private petition in an attempt to do 'forum shopping'.

The averments were made by senior counsel N Jothi, representing the joint commissioner of HR&CE, while arguing before the judges in a batch of appeals filed against Justice GR Swaminathan's order dated December 1, which directed the lighting of Karthigai Deepam on the pillar.