Here's a story about a court case in Chennai involving a trust that wanted to be declared private but didn't quite get there.
Arulmighu Pappi Chetty Ragaviah Chetty’s Charities, based in Chennai, wanted the court to say they weren't under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act. They argued that their activities were mostly non-religious, and they shouldn't be treated as a religious endowment.
The court, led by Justice S. Sounthar, looked back at past decisions. Way back in 1948, it was decided that part of the trust's income was for religious purposes. This meant the trust was indeed a "specific endowment" under the law.
"One fifth of the gross income... shall be allocated to religious uses," said the 1948 order.
In 1954, the City Civil Court in Madras (now Chennai) confirmed this decision. Arulmighu Pappi Chetty didn't challenge this ruling back then, so it became final.
Fast forward to recent years, Arulmighu Pappi Chetty tried again with a similar argument under the 1959 Act. They wanted a fresh declaration that they weren't a religious institution. But the Joint Commissioner and The Commissioner both said no, sticking to the old decisions.
On December 18, 2025, the court dismissed Arulmighu Pappi Chetty's appeal, saying they couldn't reopen a case that was settled long ago. The judges emphasized that the trust should have appealed the 1954 decision if they disagreed.
The court ordered Arulmighu Pappi Chetty to pay the costs of the appeal. In the end, Arulmighu Pappi Chetty remains under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, as decided by courts over the years.
