By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Tamil Nadu government and Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Tamil Nadu (“Commissioner”) in a petition to restrain the state and commissioner from appointing government servants in the administration of temples.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli asked the petitioner, TN Ramesh to file an affidavit giving statistics of the temples where there are no trustees and temples where government has appointed trustees under the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 (1959 Act). The bench also asked the state and the commissioner to file its response within 3 weeks. The court’s order came in a petition which was filed by TN Ramesh challenging Madras HC’s February 21, 2022 ruling of rejecting his petition where he had also sought to revert all the government employees working for administration of the non-hereditary temples. Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan and Advocates Sai Dipak and Shyamohan appeared for TN Ramesh.
Before the HC, he had also prayed for refunding the salaries, allowances and other perquisites that were paid to them from the temple funds. HC had rejected the petition while observing that no illegality was found in the action of transferring Government servants for administration of the temple “taking into consideration the peculiar circumstances”.
“If we go hyper-technically, employees in the temple can be appointed only by the trustees and in the absence of trustees, no employee could have been appointed in any of the temples, thereby creating chaos in the administration of the temples,” the HC had also observed.
Before the SC, it was argued that authorities under the 1950 act had not appointed trustees in about 19,000 non-hereditary temples in the State for more than eleven years. It was further asserted that creating posts in the temples by the Commissioner and state would alter the temples’ characters. “Commissioner by taking undue advantage had acted in connivance with the state government and had deputed Government servants (who do not possess requisite qualifications) without any authority or jurisdiction to do so, in addition to the Executive Officers already appointed for administration of these temples, for long periods.
Stats sought on temples running without trustsA bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli asked the petitioner, TN Ramesh to file an affidavit giving statistics of the temples where there are no trustees and temples where government has appointed trustees under the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 (1959 Act)
Also in top court
Notice issued on Owaisi plea against ‘attacker’ The Supreme Court on Friday issued limited notice in a petition filed by Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi challenging Allahabad HC’s order granting bail to two persons accused of firing at his vehicle on February 3 this year. A bench of Justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari issued limited notice to consider as to why the HC should not be asked to reconsider the matter.
Bench hears 75 cases till 9 pm to clear listThe SC bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hima Kohli on Friday sat till 9 pm, around five hours beyond the regular working hours, to hear 75 cases to clear the board before Dussehra vacations. In the morning, when the bench commenced, a lawyer mentioned a matter listed at the bottom of the list citing urgency.
Collegium clears 3 judges as HC CJsThe SC in its collegium meeting headed by CJI UU Lalit recommended the government elevation of 3 judges as Chief Justices of 3 HCs and transfer of 3 judges. The collegium recommended elevation of Bombay HC Judge, Justice Prasanna B. Varale as the CJ of Karnataka HC, Orissa HC Judge, Justice Jaswant Singh, as its CJ.
Azam Khan withdraws plea on Jauhar varsitySP leader Azam Khan withdrew his plea filed before SC against unjustified actions of UP government against Muhammad Ali Jauhar University at Rampur in the state. Bench of Justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari however granted Khan liberty to approach Allahabad HC. Khan in his plea has also urged the court to pass an order for appointing an independent investigation.
CBI names kingpin of teacher job scam in Bengal NEW DELHI: The CBI on Friday told SC that former chairman of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) Chairman, Manik Bhattacharya was the kingpin of teacher’s recruitment scam. “It’s the second biggest fraud which I’m handling as far as West Bengal is concerned. This is a scam which requires thorough investigation. Genuine candidates have been deprived of jobs,” ASG SV Raju told the bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Vikram Nath. CBI’s submissions came in a petition preferred by Manik Bhattacharya against Calcutta HC’s order of asking him to appear before CBI. Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had directed Bhattacharya to appear at Nizam Palace by 8 pm on Tuesday in connection with the alleged irregularities in the TET scam failing which he might get arrested. ENS
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Tamil Nadu government and Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Tamil Nadu (“Commissioner”) in a petition to restrain the state and commissioner from appointing government servants in the administration of temples.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli asked the petitioner, TN Ramesh to file an affidavit giving statistics of the temples where there are no trustees and temples where government has appointed trustees under the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 (1959 Act). The bench also asked the state and the commissioner to file its response within 3 weeks. The court’s order came in a petition which was filed by TN Ramesh challenging Madras HC’s February 21, 2022 ruling of rejecting his petition where he had also sought to revert all the government employees working for administration of the non-hereditary temples. Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan and Advocates Sai Dipak and Shyamohan appeared for TN Ramesh.
Before the HC, he had also prayed for refunding the salaries, allowances and other perquisites that were paid to them from the temple funds. HC had rejected the petition while observing that no illegality was found in the action of transferring Government servants for administration of the temple “taking into consideration the peculiar circumstances”.
“If we go hyper-technically, employees in the temple can be appointed only by the trustees and in the absence of trustees, no employee could have been appointed in any of the temples, thereby creating chaos in the administration of the temples,” the HC had also observed.
Before the SC, it was argued that authorities under the 1950 act had not appointed trustees in about 19,000 non-hereditary temples in the State for more than eleven years. It was further asserted that creating posts in the temples by the Commissioner and state would alter the temples’ characters. “Commissioner by taking undue advantage had acted in connivance with the state government and had deputed Government servants (who do not possess requisite qualifications) without any authority or jurisdiction to do so, in addition to the Executive Officers already appointed for administration of these temples, for long periods.
Stats sought on temples running without trusts
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli asked the petitioner, TN Ramesh to file an affidavit giving statistics of the temples where there are no trustees and temples where government has appointed trustees under the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 (1959 Act)
Also in top court
Notice issued on Owaisi plea against ‘attacker’
The Supreme Court on Friday issued limited notice in a petition filed by Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi challenging Allahabad HC’s order granting bail to two persons accused of firing at his vehicle on February 3 this year. A bench of Justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari issued limited notice to consider as to why the HC should not be asked to reconsider the matter.
Bench hears 75 cases till 9 pm to clear list
The SC bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hima Kohli on Friday sat till 9 pm, around five hours beyond the regular working hours, to hear 75 cases to clear the board before Dussehra vacations. In the morning, when the bench commenced, a lawyer mentioned a matter listed at the bottom of the list citing urgency.
Collegium clears 3 judges as HC CJs
The SC in its collegium meeting headed by CJI UU Lalit recommended the government elevation of 3 judges as Chief Justices of 3 HCs and transfer of 3 judges. The collegium recommended elevation of Bombay HC Judge, Justice Prasanna B. Varale as the CJ of Karnataka HC, Orissa HC Judge, Justice Jaswant Singh, as its CJ.
Azam Khan withdraws plea on Jauhar varsity
SP leader Azam Khan withdrew his plea filed before SC against unjustified actions of UP government against Muhammad Ali Jauhar University at Rampur in the state. Bench of Justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari however granted Khan liberty to approach Allahabad HC. Khan in his plea has also urged the court to pass an order for appointing an independent investigation.
CBI names kingpin of teacher job scam in Bengal
NEW DELHI: The CBI on Friday told SC that former chairman of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) Chairman, Manik Bhattacharya was the kingpin of teacher’s recruitment scam. “It’s the second biggest fraud which I’m handling as far as West Bengal is concerned. This is a scam which requires thorough investigation. Genuine candidates have been deprived of jobs,” ASG SV Raju told the bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Vikram Nath. CBI’s submissions came in a petition preferred by Manik Bhattacharya against Calcutta HC’s order of asking him to appear before CBI. Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had directed Bhattacharya to appear at Nizam Palace by 8 pm on Tuesday in connection with the alleged irregularities in the TET scam failing which he might get arrested. ENS
