Gunarathinam Manivannan vs Honourable D.M. Jayaratne – SC FR 393/2010-2023

In the case between Gunarathinam Manivannan (Petitioner, hereditary trustee of Thiru Murikandi Pillayar Kovil) and state officials including the Minister of Buddhist and Religious Affairs and the Director of the Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs (Respondents), the court addressed the dispute over the management, control, and trusteeship of the Thiru Murikandi Pillayar Kovil and its temporalities. It was held that the core issue was whether the Petitioner and 12th/12A Respondent were entitled to the restoration of trusteeship following the alleged unlawful and arbitrary takeover by state agencies post-LTTE control, under Article 12(1) of the Constitution. The principle reaffirmed centered on the evidentiary requirements for establishing hereditary trusteeship and trust prop