HC directs Navdurga Mahajans not to replace the idol until District Court decides the issue
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 25 February 2016 19:33 IST
In an interesting move, the high court today took undertaking from Mahajans that the idol of Devi Navdurga would not be replaced for the next 30 days, while also directing the district case to decide about the matter within that time.
Enraged Justice K L Wadane also decided to withdraw the interim relief granted earlier, allowing replacing the idol, when Adv Amrut Kansar, counsel of Devi Navdurga Pratishthan, told the court they have still not been served the notices.
The Bombay high court at Goa had on 23 February granted ex-parte interim relief to the Mahajans of Navdurga temple while directing them to serve notices, returnable by today.
“When ex-parte interim relief is granted, it is the responsibility of the petitioner to get the notices served within time frame, which they did not do”, Adv Kansar later told goanews.com.
As Justice Wadane said he would withdraw the interim relief granted in the case, temple committee’s counsel Adv Subodh Kantak requested the court not to withdraw it and agreed to give an undertaking.
The temple committee has now given the undertaking that it would not replace the idol for 30 days and the status quo would be maintained.
The district court of Ponda had earlier passed a similar order, telling the temple committee to maintain status quo, due to which the programme beginning from 22 February to replace the idol had to be cancelled.
The Mahajans had approached the high court, challenging the district court’s decision.
During the hearing today, the temple committee earlier requested to limit the undertaking only for 15 days.
But Justice Wadane extended it to 30 days when Pratishthan lawyer Adv Kansar told the court that the matter is exhaustive and 15 days would not be enough.
Adv Kansar also told the court that the hearing in the district court was already fixed for 6 March and the temple committee had no reason to come to the higher court.
Justice Wadane said he would not interfere with the ongoing case at the district court, but directed the court to dispose of the matter within 30 days.
The Pratishthan has filed a case in the district court, challenging the temple committee’s decision to replace the idol of Shri Devi Navdurga.
Fearing that the idol could be changed after the high court granted interim relief, hundreds of Madkai villagers have been maintaining day and night vigil at the temple by camping at the temple premises in shifts.
