Temple land: HC orders status quo, notice to Haryana MLA

Chandigarh, Jul 4 (UNI) A divison bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court while ordering status quo on the land attached to a temple in village Newada Khoh in Faridabad district, has issued notices to Haryana MLA Mahendra Pratap Singh and others.

Division bench of Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Mahesh Grover has issued notices for September 16, 2008 to ruling Haryana Congress MLA Mahendra Pratap Singh of Mewla Maharjapur (Faridabad) constituency and others for a petition seeking appointment of an official receiver and administrator for the temple of Thakurji in village Nawada Khoh, Faridabad district, and also to quash the lease deed of the temple land in favour of the MLA.

The petitioner Ranbir Singh also from the same village, has submitted that the owners of the village had in 1896 given 4 Bighas and 17 Biswa of land to the idol of Thakurji in the village. Though the land was to be incorporated in the name of the Idol of Thakurji in revenue records, but inadvertently it came to be incorporated in the name of the Caretaker of the temple land Mahant Rameshwar Dass.

He has in turn leased it on September 22, 1959 to respondent Mahendra Pratap Singh along with some other land measuring 5 Bighas 5 Biswa.

The lease executed in favour of Mr Mahendra Pratap Singh was challenged through a civil suit but the plea was dismissed on December 21,1994. It has been alleged by the petitioner that respondent Mahendra Pratap Singh got the mutation in his name on the basis of revenue record and allegedly illegal lease deed.

Now, he is planning to carve out streets and roads through municipal corporation, Faridabad. The petitioner alleged that he is further executing lease deed in favour of others for plots.

This way Mahendra Pratap Singh was allegedly usurping crores of rupees for the land of the temple of Thakurji in connivance with Mahant Rameshwar Dass, the petitioner further submitted.

Besides Mahendra pratap Singh, a former minister, notices have also been issued by the court to the Haryana government, the commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Faridabad.

UNI XC BDP BST0959