J&K High Court concludes plea on charges of religious interference and mismanagement at Machail Mata shrine

Noting the statement of the petitioners that they were satisfied with the steps taken by the respondents in this matter and that the same is in the interest of the general public that a group of Judge Wasim Sadiq Nargal noticed,

“..in the light of the statement made by the counsel appearing on behalf of the applicants, the proceedings in the instant petition are closed and the petition is dismissed along with all related applications in the light of the application made by the respondents the position stated above”.

The petition was filed by Ms. 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 Jammu and Kashmir government of interfering in traditional customs and rituals. during puja-archana (worship ceremonies) and misuse of funds allocated for the maintenance of the shrine and the annual yatra (pilgrimage).

Moreover, it was alleged that the respondents had withheld honorarium for staff members and there has been blatant misuse of resources, such as blankets, meant for use by the shrine during the pandemic.

The respondents, including the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and officials of the district administration, refuted the allegations and argued that they were strictly adhering to the directions of the Supreme Court in an earlier Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the management of the shrine.

The PIL, which was disposed of in February 2022, had directed the government to explore the possibility of legislating for the administration of the shrine and, as an interim measure, entrusting its management to one of the existing shrine boards.

The respondents further said that following the PIL verdict, a committee was formed to monitor the annual yatra arrangements and stated that all funds were used solely for the maintenance of the shrine, yatra management and pilgrim facilities, as directed by the Supreme Court.

During the hearing, the petitioners’ attorney informed the court that they were satisfied with the respondents’ commitments and that they no longer wished to pursue the case. Taking note of the petitioner’s stand and the respondent’s detailed statement indicating his adherence to the previous judgment, the court closed the petition and dismissed all related applications.

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

Visa: LiveLaw 2024 (JKL)

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