Thu Nov 21 15:04:52 UTC 2024: ## Madras High Court Urges Central Legislation to Regulate Christian Institution Properties
**Madurai, Tamil Nadu, November 21, 2024** – The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has recommended that the central government introduce legislation to oversee the administration of Christian institution properties, mirroring existing laws for Hindu and Muslim religious endowments. The court cited instances of fraudulent property sales by administrators, highlighting a lack of regulatory oversight as the root cause.
A division bench, comprising Justices P. Velmurugan and K.K. Ramakrishnan, suggested the legislation should include provisions to prevent illegal alienation of properties without court permission. They proposed amending the Registration Act to reflect this. The court emphasized that this suggestion stems from a need to protect Christian institution assets and is prompted by the observed irregularities.
This recommendation follows a similar observation by Justice N. Sathish Kumar in a previous case, noting the absence of comprehensive regulation for Christian endowments compared to Hindu and Muslim counterparts. Both judges suggested the establishment of a statutory board to enhance accountability.
The court has requested a response from both the central and state governments regarding the proposed legislation.
First Piper 