High Court Takes Control of Anantnag Temples Amid Management Dispute

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has ordered the Anantnag deputy commissioner to manage two temples and their properties, amid a dispute over their management. The court determined that the properties should be managed by the deputy commissioner to ensure effective and peaceful administration.

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the Anantnag deputy commissioner to immediately take over the management of two temples and their properties to preserve and protect them.

In a recent ruling, Justices Sanjeev Kumar and M A Chowdhary addressed a petition concerning the management of Shri Raghu Nath Mandir and Nagbal Gautam Nag temple. The bench clarified that the properties are vested in the deity and require effective and peaceful management.

The court noted rival claims between the petitioner, who has managed the temples since 2010, and a newly impleaded respondent. To resolve this, it mandated that the deputy commissioner manage the temples, allowing both parties to pursue their claims in civil court. The district magistrate is tasked with restoring the properties to the temples through due legal process and may form a committee for this purpose.