IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 11.09.2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR.SUSHRUT ARVIND DHARMADHIKARI, CHIEF JUSTICE
AND
THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE G.ARUL MURUGAN
WP No.36912 of 2026
Dr. R.Karpagam, Coimbatore ... Petitioner
Vs
(1) Union of India, Represented by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, New Delhi.
(2) State of Tamil Nadu, Represented by its Chief Secretary, Secretariat, Chennai.
(3) The Chairperson, Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi.
(4) Chairperson, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control board (TNPCB), Chennai.
(5) Principal Secretary to Government (FAC), Public (Law and order-B) Department, Chennai.
(6) Director General of Police (DGP), Chennai.
(7) Principal Secretary to Government, Environment, Climate Change and amp, Forests Department, Secretariat, Chennai.
(8) The Principal Secretary to Government, Home, prohibition and Excise Department, Secretariat, Chennai. ... Respondents
Prayer: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuance of a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents 1 to 8 to forthwith take all necessary, effective and time-bound measures for strict and uniform implementation and enforcement throughout the state of tamilnadu of G.O.Ms.No.598, public (law and order-B) Department dated 09.08.2018, the revised guidelines for Idol immersion issued by the central pollution control board dated 12.05.2020, the directions issued by the Honble National Green Tribunal in O.A.No.135 of 2023 (SZ) dated 24.01.2024 and all other applicable statutory and judicial safeguards governing the installation, use, procession and immersion of vinayagar idols and consequently direct the respondents 1-8 to frame the mandatory committees mandated under the above guidelines and directions and to conduct effective inspection, monitoring, registration, permission and enforcement mechanisms in compliance with the above guidelines and directions within a strict time frame before 14.09.2026.
For Petitioner: Mr. Athiban Vijay .AK
For Respondents: Mr.A.Kumaraguru, Senior Panel Counsel for R1; Mr.M.Guruprasad, State Govt Pleader for RR 2,7,8; Mr.V.Gunasekar, Standing counsel for R4; Mr.Arun Anbumani, Addl Public Prosecutor for R6
ORDER
(Order of the Court was made by the Hon'ble Chief Justice)
[NyayVidhan notes: (1) The petitioner's residential address is omitted and the respondents' office addresses are shortened. (2) The opening paragraph is unnumbered in the print and is numbered 1 here. The official PDF is the authoritative text.]
1. Learned counsel for the petitioner seeks to withdraw the writ petition with liberty to avail appropriate remedy in accordance with law.
2. In view of the same, the writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn, with the aforesaid liberty. There will be no order as to costs.
(SUSHRUT ARVIND DHARMADHIKARI, CJ.) (G.ARUL MURUGAN, J.)
11.09.2026
Dr. R. Karpagam v. Union of India & Ors.
Source Madras High Court (mhc.tn.gov.in), decided 11.09.2026
The text below is reproduced from the judgment for reference. The article summarises the Court's decision; refer to the original judgment for the authoritative text.