Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has expressed grief over the long pendency of cases related to temples and said that advocates and people associated with the district administration should be kept away from the management and control of temples. The court made this remark while hearing a contempt petition regarding the appointment of a 'receiver' in a dispute related to a temple in Mathura. The court was told that 197 civil cases related to temples are pending in Mathura. 

should be stopped at the very beginning

Disposing of the contempt petition filed by Devendra Kumar Sharma and another person from Mathura district, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal said, "If the management and operation of temples and charitable trusts is done by outsiders and not by people belonging to the religious fraternity, then the faith of the people will decrease. Such actions should be stopped at the very beginning." The court said, "Now the time has come to free all these temples from the clutches of advocates practising in Mathura and the courts should try to appoint a 'receiver' only if necessary. The 'receiver' to be appointed should be associated with the management of the temple and should have some inclination towards the deity." 

should not be kept hanging

The High Court said, "The so-called 'Receiver' should have good knowledge of Vedas and scriptures. Advocates and people associated with the district administration should be kept away from the management and operation of these ancient temples. Efforts should be made to settle this case related to the temple as soon as possible. The matter should not be kept pending for decades." 

The litigation process drags on for long 

The court expressed strong displeasure over the present system of appointing advocates practising in Mathura to manage these temples and said that this approach often prolongs the litigation process. It said, “Advocates from Mathura have been appointed as 'receivers' in these famous temples of Vrindavan, Govardhan and Barsana. It is in the interest of the 'receiver' to keep the litigation pending. No attempt is made to settle the litigation as the entire control over the temple administration is in the hands of the 'receiver'. Most of the litigations are related to the management of temples and the appointment of the 'receiver'.” 

The court said, "An advocate who is practising cannot give the necessary time for the proper management of the temple and he is also not dedicated to it. Such appointments have become a symbol of prestige rather than a solution to the problem." It said, "Considering the facts and circumstances of this case, this court requests the District Judge of Mathura to personally take the trouble and inform his officers about this order and also make every effort to settle the civil cases of temples and trusts of Mathura district as soon as possible." The court said in its decision of August 27, "Keeping the case pending for a long time will only create more controversy, due to which the interference of advocates and district administration will remain indirectly in these temples, which is not in the interest of people who believe in Hindu religion."