'If states start entering private disputes ... ': SC pulls up UP government for 'hijacking' Banke Bihari Temple dispute

Time of India

27-05-2025

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NEW DELHI: The
Supreme Court
on Tuesday strongly criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for intervening in a private legal dispute over the management of the iconic Shri Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, accusing it of 'hijacking' the case.
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma questioned the state's involvement, stating, 'If states start entering private disputes, it will lead to a breakdown of the rule of law. You can't hijack litigation between private parties.'
The court was hearing a plea seeking modification of its earlier order that cleared the way for the UP government's temple redevelopment plan.
Senior advocate
Kapil Sibal
, representing petitioner Devendra Nath Gooswami, argued that Rs 300 crore was allocated to the state for the project without making his client, linked to the temple's original founders, a party to the case, news agency PTI reported.
'How can earnings of a private temple be handed over to the state through an order in an unrelated petition?' Sibal questioned.
In response, the state's counsel said the government had created a trust to oversee the redevelopment and manage temple affairs, and that the funds would vest with the trust, not the government—under a specific ordinance.
The bench directed the state to share a copy of the ordinance with the petitioner and asked the relevant principal secretary to file an affidavit by July 29.
Earlier on May 15, the court had allowed the state to use temple funds for purchasing five acres of land around the shrine to develop facilities such as parking, toilets, and accommodation for devotees.
However, on May 19, Gooswami—who claims to be a direct descendant of temple founder Swami Haridas Goswami—challenged the redevelopment plan, arguing it was unfeasible without consultation with those historically involved in the temple's functioning. He warned it could disrupt the temple's religious and cultural fabric.
The Supreme Court's earlier ruling had modified a November 2023 Allahabad High Court order that accepted the state's development plan but barred use of temple funds.