Supreme Court Issues Notice On Hindu Dharma Parishad's Plea Seeking Appointment Of Trustee Committee In All Temples

The bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari was considering SLP assailing Madras High Court's order of dismissing Parishad's writ seeking the similar relief.

Advocate Jaya Sukin and Narender Kumar Verma appeared for the Parishad.

Hindu Dharma Parishad had argued before the High Court that several Hindu Temples in Tamil Nadu were not maintained well and they were destroyed. Against this backdrop the Parishad had sought appointment of Trustee Committee.

To substantiate their contention the Parishad had relied on the cause of Sree Padmanabhasamy Temple in Kerala wherein the Top Court had directed to form Temple Committee to submit that there should be a Committee in similar lines even in the Hindu Temples in Tamil Nadu.

The High Court bench of Justices Pushpa Sathyanarayana and P Velmurugan taking into consideration that there was a statutory provision under Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowmments Act, 1959 had dismissed the writ.

"Learned Advocate General pointed out that as per Section 47(1) (c) of The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959, (Tamil Nadu Act 22 to 1959), every Board of Trustees constituted under clause (a) or clause (b) shall consist of not less than three and not more than five persons, of whom one shall be a member of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes and another one shall be a woman.

9.As already there is a statutory provision, as has been demanded by the petitioner, there is nothing for adjudication in this Writ Petition and for issuing suitable directions. Hence, this Writ Petition stands dismissed. No costs," High Court had observed.

Case Title: Hindu Dharma Parishad v The State of Tamil Nadu & Anr| Special Leave to Appeal (C) No(s). 2197/2022