Heritage Temple Dispute: High Court Steps In, Demands Answers on Relocation of Deity

Hyderabad:Justice K. Sarath of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday made it clear that the endowments department and the other authorities would have to file their response to a writ plea dealing with serious allegations with regard to the Kanyaka Parmeshwari Devasthanam. Orally, the judge rejected the technical plea that the petitioner had no locus.

Senior counsel L. Ravichander appearing for the petitioner pointed that the petitioner had a personal interest and the only remedy available was to file a writ petition. It was the case of the writ petitioner that the unofficial respondents had relocated the idol of the deity from its original place in the ground floor.

Such a decision was deeply distressing to the sentiments of the Vysya community, as it contravened core religious beliefs, the petitioner said. The temple was a heritage structure and some part of it was demolished without approval from the commissioner, endowments department as mandated by law, the petitioner said.

The judge noted that there were three persons impleaded as president in the matter. Senior counsel pointed that all the three were claiming to be president, and the petitioner was sensitive to the possible criticism that orders are obtained behind the back of affected parties.