The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a public interest plea that sought a halt to what was described as unlawful commercial construction within the Ram Janki temple premises in Shankargarh, Prayagraj.
The division bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra ruled on Saturday that the court cannot intervene in matters related to private or non governmental property. The judges stated that the scope of a public interest petition does not extend to disputes arising from land that is not owned or managed by the state.
The Ram Janki temple, located at Sadar Bazar in Shankargarh, is about two hundred years old. Revenue records presented before the bench showed that the land on which the temple stands belongs to Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, who was also named as a respondent in the petition.
The petitioner had urged the court to stop the construction activity inside the temple complex and sought legal action against Singh. However, the court noted that no grounds were established to justify judicial intervention in a matter involving private ownership.
With the dismissal of the plea, the construction work at the site may continue unless challenged through another legal route that fits the required parameters for judicial review.
