Supreme Court upholds demolition of ‘Pracheen Shiv Mandir’

Advertisement

New Delhi, June 14

Questioning the antiquity of ‘Pracheen Shiv Mandir’ at Geeta Colony close to the Yamuna floodplains in the National Capital, the Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay its demolition.

“Where is the proof of Pracheen (ancient) temple? To begin with, ancient temples were built with rocks and not with cement and painted,” a Vacation Bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Augustine George Masih said, refusing to interfere with the Delhi High Court order.

The Delhi High Court had on May 29 said Lord Shiva does not need anyone’s protection as it refused to make the deity a party to a petition relating to the removal of a temple constructed in an unauthorised way on the Yamuna riverbed.

‘Lord Shiva would be happier if the Yamuna riverbed and floodplains were cleared of all encroachments and unauthorised construction,’ the high court had said, refusing to set aside the demolition order.

Contending that the temple acted as a hub of spiritual activities, petitioner Pracheen Shiv Mandir Avam Akhada Samiti submitted that around 300 to 400 devotees visited it regularly.

The high court had concluded the land in question was meant to serve a larger public interest and the petitioner society can’t claim any vested rights to continue to occupy it as the land fell under the Zonal Development Plan for Zone-’O’ as approved by the Ministry of Urban Development.

The petitioner society failed to show any documents to prove its title, right or interest over the land and there was no proof of the temple having any historical significance, the HC said.