Allahabad High Court Affirms Private Status of Temple Trust

The Allahabad High Court ruled that general visitors to a temple don't automatically classify the managing trust as public. It dismissed pleas seeking public trust status for the Shri Ram Laxman-Janki Virajman Temple Trust, citing the trust's private management history and the res judicata principle.

The Allahabad High Court has determined that the presence of general visitors at a temple does not confirm the public nature of the trust administering it. This decision arises from the dismissal of pleas requesting that the Shri Ram Laxman-Janki Virajman Temple Trust be recognized as a public religious trust.

Justice Prashant Kumar stated that according to Section 92 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which allows legal intervention in public trust issues, the temple's trust remains private. The court underscored that the temple, located within the founder's premises, was always managed privately and thus cannot be categorized as public.

The court recognized Shiv Gopal as the legitimate manager, a decision previously finalized. No opposition was raised against the succession of Shri Narayan as manager, reinforcing the existing private leadership framework.