SC orders Karnataka to decide Shakadri's plea in 6 weeks

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Karnataka government to decide within six weeks several representations made by the religious head of the disputed cave shrine of Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy dargah in Chikkamagaluru district for performing religious activities over there.

A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha ordered the state government to decide the issue in terms of the apex court’s order passed on September 3, 2015.

Acting on a plea made by ‘Sajjada Nasheen’ Syed Ghouse Mohiyuddin Shakhadri through advocate Neela Gokhale, the bench noted that as per the court's order, the Karnataka Cabinet had to decide the issue after taking consideration of the 2010 report of the Commissioner for Religious and Charitable Endowments and hearing the parties including ‘Sajjada Nasheen’.

The court had then allowed Shakhadri to appoint Mujawar (priest) to perform rituals over the dargah of ‘Guru Dattatreya Bababuden Swamy alias Hazrath Dada Hayat Mir Kalandar.’ Shakhadri alleged that despite the order attempts were made by the Karnataka government to oust him from the place.

With a brief order on Monday, the court disposed of the application made by Shakhadri wherein he contended that the state government violated the apex court's direction of September 3, 2015 to maintain status quo in terms of the order of February 25, 1989 passed by the Commissioner for Religious and Charitable Endowments in Karnataka.

He claimed that despite various representations, the state government has restrained him from visiting the tombs of his parents.