Kalkaji temple: SC asks authorities not to evict priests from properties

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the authorities to not dispossess the priests, who have been residing in the vicinity of the Kalkaji temple premises here, from their properties while carrying out the re-development plan of the historic temple.

A vacation bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Vikram Nath issued notice to the Centre and other parties on a plea filed by temple priests challenging the orders of the Delhi High Court and tagged the matter along with the pending petition.

In the meanwhile, there shall be no impediment for carrying out the re -development as directed by High Court of Delhi through the orders impugned herein but such re -development shall be without dispossessing the petitioners from the premises wherein they are stated to be residing at present , it said.

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the temple priests said that they have all the revenue records which show they are in possession of such property for years which is also evident from the report of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

The counsel further said that it is a historical fact that priests of the temple normally used to reside in the vicinity of the temple and this is how it has been in this case also.

He said that they are not against the re-development plan of the temple but their Dharamshalas and houses should not be demolished in the name of the redevelopment plan. The bench asked the counsel whether the land of the premises which they are claiming to be there is in their name or in the name of the deity.