Asok Pande President Hindu Personal Law Board v. Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir Nyas Parishad Thru C.E.O. and Anr

Chief Justice's Court Case :- PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL) No. - 3151 of 2015 Petitioner :- Asok Pande President Hindu Personal Law Board P.I.L. Respondent :- Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir Nyas Parishad Thru C.E.O. And Anr Counsel for Petitioner :- Asok Pande In Person Counsel for Respondent :- C.S.C.,Ashish Mishra Hon'ble Pritinker Diwaker,Chief Justice Hon'ble Rajan Roy,J. Heard. By means of this petition, the petitioner has sought following reliefs: "a) To issue a writ in the nature of certiorari there by quashing the decision taken by the respondents through which the deployment of the police force in uniform inside the Garbhgrih has been decided by the respondents after summoning the same from the concern respondents. b) To issue a writ of mandamus directing the respondent no. 1 and 2, to deploy the police personals outside the "Garbh Grih" of Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple." The grievance of the petitioner is with regard to the presence of police personnel inside the Garbhgrih of Sri Vishwanath temple of Varanasi. The submission is that this causes inconvenience to the pilgrims, especially as the policemen are present in uniform. A counter affidavit has been filed by the State of Uttar Pradesh. In the counter affidavit it has been averred that presence of security personnel inside the garbgrih is necessary and is as per the security scheme. The short counter affidavit was filed long back on 28.04.2015. Petitioner has not filed any rejoinder affidavit to the short counter affidavit of state. Sri Prashant Singh Atal appearing for the State says that now security personnel are not present inside the garbhgrih unless it is absolutely necessary. What are the security arrangements to be made inside or around the Vishwanath temple looking into the sensitivities involved and whether security personnel inside the garbgrih, if at all it is so, should be in uniform or not, are matters to be seen by the State authorities and security experts, not the courts. We accordingly dismiss this petition. [Rajan Roy, J.] [Pritinker Diwaker, C.J.] Order Date :- 18.5.2023 Santosh/- High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench