J&K High Court Closes Plea On Allegations Of Religious Interference & Maladministration At Machail Mata Shrine

Taking note of the statement of the petitioners that they were satisfied with respect to the steps being taken by respondents on the issue and the same being in the interest of public at large a bench of Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal observed,

“.. in the light of the statement made by the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners, the proceedings in the instant writ petition are closed and the writ petition is disposed of having rendered infructuous along with all connected applications in the light of the stand taken by the respondents in the manner indicated above”.

The petition had been filed by M/s Sarv Shakti Sewak Sanstha, a religious organization associated with the shrine, and its former president, Nek Ram Manhas in terms of which they had accused the government of Jammu and Kashmir of interfering with traditional customs and rituals during puja-archana (worship ceremonies) and misusing funds allocated for the shrine's upkeep and annual yatra (pilgrimage).

Additionally it had been alleged that the respondents had Withheld the honorarium for staff members and there exists a blatant misuse of resources, such as blankets, intended for the shrine's use during the pandemic.

The respondents, which included the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and district administration officials, countered the allegations and argued that they were strictly adhering to the directions passed by the High Court in a previous Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the shrine's management.

The PIL, disposed of in February 2022, had directed the government to explore the possibility of enacting legislation for the shrine's governance and, as an interim measure, entrust its management to one of the existing shrine boards.

The respondents further informed that a committee had been formed following the PIL judgment to oversee the annual yatra arrangements and stated that all funds were being used solely for the shrine's upkeep, yatra management, and pilgrim facilities, as mandated by the High Court.

During the hearing, the petitioners' lawyer informed the court that they were satisfied with the respondents' assurances and no longer wished to pursue the case. The court, noting the petitioner's stance and the respondent's detailed affidavit outlining their compliance with the previous judgment, closed the petition and disposed of all related applications.

Case Title: M/s Sarv Shakti Sewak Sanstha, J&K Vs UT of J&K

Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (JKL) 96

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