Shankaracharya seat: SC asks Bombay High Court for speedy end

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) The Supreme Court has requested the Bombay high court to decide within 3 months dispute regarding the claim of the appellant to the seat of Jagadguru Shankaracharya - sole trustee of Sankeshwar Peeth in Karnataka having its another branch known as Karveer Peeth in Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

Appellant late Pandit Vasu Dev Vyas , the then Dean of faculty of Ayurved in Bombay University and also the Dean of Poddar Government Ayurvedic Medical college and Hospital in Mumbai has laid claim to the post and seat of Jagadguru Shankracharya- Sole Trustee of Board of MGMT, s.s.j.s Peeth having two branches one in Karnataka known as Sankeshwar Peeth and other in Kolhapur Maharashtra called Karveer Peeth claiming to be the disciple of Jagadguru.

Mumbai Charity commissioner appointed Ramchandra Narhar Kulkarni as Shankaracharya of Karveer Peeth vide order dated Nov. 11,1982 and Kulrani was also appointed sole trustee of Karveer Peeth and appointment of Kulkarni despite withdrawal of claim by him is under challenge. Legal Representatives of the deceased appellant were allowed to be brought on record.

While remanding the matter back to high court a bench comprising Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha and Mr. Justice P.P. Naolekar vide judgment dated April 25 has emphasised the need for speedy end to the litigation keeping in view the age of Erande Swami,the sole trustee of Sankeshwar Peeth, who is 92 year old and also Kulkarni, the sole trustee of Karveer Peeth who is 80 year old.

The Supreme Court has directed the high court to decide the controversy afresh keeping in view clause 5 of the Trust Act which says that Jagadguru , Shankaracharya Karveer peeth shall remain sole trustee of the trust subject to the court's decision in pending matters.

UNI AKS/SC RP PM1944