COMMISSIONER FOR HINDU RELIGIOUS & CHARITABLEENDOWMENTS, MY vs RATNAVARMA HEGGADE (DECEASED) BY HIS L.RS.

The Supreme Court held that under Section 9(12) of the Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1926, a temple can be recognized as a public religious place even if Jains also worship there, provided it is dedicated for public worship by Hindus. However, the Act applies only to Hindu public religious endowments, and in this case, there was insufficient evidence of an endowment for the temple in question, which was originally a Jain institution. Consequently, the Court upheld the High Court's decision that the Act did not apply to the temple, affirming its status as a private temple not subject to the Act's provisions.