The Allahabad High Court has issued a contempt notice to the District Magistrate, SSP Mathura and District Judge and Civil Judge Mathura on a contempt petition filed against changing the timings of Darshan and Puja Aarti at Banke Bihari Temple, Mathura Vrindavan. All of them have been directed to file their reply to the petition by February 2. The contempt petition has been filed on behalf of Gaurav Goswami, the servant of the temple. His lawyer Sanjay Goswami told that on the request of the district administration, the Civil Judge Mathura had ordered to extend the time of worship, aarti and darshan at Shri Banke Bihari Temple. While this matter is pending in the High Court and an undertaking has been given by the state government that there will be no interference from the district administration in the management and administration of the temple. Despite this, contempt of court has been committed by ordering change in the timings of darshan and puja aarti in the temple. The court, considering it prima facie a case of contempt, issued notices to all the parties and summoned their replies.
Sewayat reached the Supreme Court to be made a party
A Special Leave Petition has been filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of the temple’s servicemen seeking to be made a party to the PIL filed in the Allahabad High Court regarding Shri Banke Bihari Temple. During the hearing of the PIL in the High Court on Monday, it was informed by the temple side that their application to be made a party in this PIL is still pending, on which no decision has been taken by the High Court. That’s why the services have approached the Supreme Court. In view of this, the High Court has postponed the hearing of the case till January 24. The High Court will hear the matter only after hearing the special leave petition in the Supreme Court.
It is worth mentioning that a Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the High Court to control the huge crowd in Shri Banke Bihari Temple and to make a corridor around the temple. Continuous hearing is going on in the High Court on this petition. The High Court has also sought a plan from the State Government and a report has also been taken from the retired High Court Judge by appointing it as the Court Commissioner.
Temple side’s advocate Sanjay Goswami says that it would not be appropriate to take any decision in this PIL without hearing the temple side. An application was filed on behalf of the servants of the temple to be impleaded in the petition, but the High Court has not yet given any decision on it. In view of this, a Special Leave Petition was filed in the Supreme Court, which will be heard in the High Court on January 24.