New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday appointed former Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar as amicus curiae to look after various reform measures at Jagannath temple in Puri.
A three-judge bench comprising Justices AK Sikri, S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah also appointed senior advocate Priya Hingorani to assist the amicus curiae. The matter has been listed for hearing February 5.
Counsel for petitioner Mrinalini Padhi sought adjournment of the case citing personal reasons. However, the apex court appointed the new amicus curiae and listed all intervention applications for hearing February 5.
The appointment of Kumar came after former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium stepped down from the post of amicus curiae November 30 citing personal reasons.
Odisha government counsel Shibasish Mishra submitted that Gopal Subramanium recused himself due to allegations made against him.
Temple administration counsel Swetaketu Mishra said the bench took strong observation on Debasis Mishra, counsel for intervention application, for making personal allegations.
“Why are you making personal comments on individuals. This is not tolerable. If this thing goes, we will not permit you in the case,” the bench observed.
Debasis Mishra had earlier sought action against the Gopal Subramanium, chief administrator of Jagannath temple and others for alleged irregularities. The SC had dismissed the petition December 11 last year.
He said he had ‘‘simply’’ said in his application that salary of ‘‘sevaks’’ (staff) of the temple was not paid since July 5 and it should be released immediately. He said some concrete steps were needed to be taken in the matter since violence had erupted there in October last year.
Nine policemen were injured in the violence at Puri during a 12-hour bandh called by a socio-cultural organisation protesting introduction of a queue system for devotees at the temple.
The bench said applications filed by other stakeholders in the matter would also be considered February 5.
In June last year, the court had appointed Subramanium as an amicus curiae to assist it in the matter in which a plea was filed highlighting the difficulties faced by devotees at Jagannath temple and their alleged harassment or exploitation by the ‘sevaks’ of the temple.
The apex court October 10 had said no policeman should enter the temple ‘‘with weapons and shoes’’ after it was alleged that cops had entered the temple with boots and guns October 3 when violence occurred in the shrine.
The Odisha government’s counsel had termed the allegations as “absolutely false” and said no policeman had entered the temple as the incident had taken place at office of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) which is situated 500 metres from the main temple.
In July last year, the top court had directed the Jagannath temple management to consider allowing every visitor, irrespective of faith, to offer prayers to the deity.
However, it had said that it would be subject to regulatory measures regarding dress code and giving an appropriate declaration. It had directed the Centre to constitute a committee to look into the issues raised by the district judge of Puri regarding alleged exploitation of devotees, abolishment of hereditary Sevaks and appointment of Sevaks in the temple.