The Madras High Court has appointed its retired judge S. Jagadeesan as the administrator of Pachaiyappa’s Charitable Trust after highlighting how disputes over administration of vast amount of properties that were divested by philanthropist Pachaiyappa Mudaliar, for charitable purposes in 1794, continued to linger in court corridors ever since the first decree was passed in 1826 by the then Supreme Court of Madras.
Acting Chief Justice T. Raja and Justice K. Kumaresh Babu said the erstwhile Supreme Court of Madras had passed four decrees on February 3, 1826; October 23, 1832; October 30, 1832; and August 6, 1841. Through the fourth decree, it had held that the performance of charities in the provinces should be under the direction of the Revenue Board. Accordingly, the latter framed a scheme and rules for better administration.
The scheme was challenged after the establishment of the Madras High Court in 1862, and underwent some changes due to the orders passed by the High Court in 1909, 1920, 1963, 2007 and 2008. An application was taken out in 2008 to restrain certain individuals from calling for and conducting elections to the trust. A single judge disposed of the application on June 14, 2018, by appointing an interim administrator.
