# Tamil Nadu police book DMK functionary in Rs 50 crore temple land fraud 2026-09-20T00:27:18+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets Tamil Nadu police have booked six people, including DMK's Srirangam area secretary M Ramkumar and a former sub-registrar, for allegedly transferring 7,515 sq ft of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple land using forged documents. The FIR, registered on September 13 based on a temple complaint, alleges the land was sold to Ramkumar for Rs 2.9 crore in 2022-23 using fabricated ownership papers. The plot now houses a DMK office. Minister S Ramesh said the land is worth Rs 50 crore and alleged a fabricated police certificate from Puducherry was used to bypass registration procedures. Ramkumar denied wrongdoing, saying the land belonged to private individuals and registration was properly verified. He said the dispute is already before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. The investigation is underway. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India Today and The News Minute frame the story around Minister Ramesh's allegations of systematic land grabbing with official collusion, emphasising the Rs 50 crore valuation and the fabricated Puducherry police certificate. The Hindu leads instead with the specific FIR details, six accused named, IPC sections, and the Rs 2.9 crore transaction, giving greater weight to the procedural record. The News Minute alone reports the accused DMK functionary's denial and the existence of a pending Madras High Court case. The omission of the denial by India Today and The Hindu creates an impression of clear guilt, while The Hindu's focus on the FIR leaves out the minister's broader claims of departmental collusion. A complete picture requires both the allegations and the accused's stated defence. The CCB investigation will determine whether the pending court case or the new FIR proceeds. ## Coverage - indiatoday.in (pro government) Leads with minister's systemic corruption claim, omits accused's denial and pending court case - thehindu.com (neutral report) Leads with FIR details and IPC sections, presents minister's view but no defence response - thenewsminute.com (neutral report) Presents both the allegations and the accused DMK functionary's denial with pending court case Tags: DMK, N Ramkumar, S Ramesh, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/tamil-nadu-fir-names-dmk-functionary-in-temple-land-fraud/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/tamil-nadu-fir-names-dmk-functionary-in-temple-land-fraud/#story-in-brief