Gokarna temple: SC closes contempt plea

The Karnataka government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it has handed over all movable and immovable properties, bank accounts, fixed deposits certificates as well as “absolute administration" of Mahabaleshwara temple, Gokarna to the Ramachandrapura Mutt.

A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Hemant Gupta took the statement of senior advocate Ranjit Kumar and advocate Joseph Aristotle, appearing for the state government, into record and closed the contempt proceedings on a plea by the Mutt.

The court fixed the special leave petition filed by the Mutt for consideration on January 11.

The complete handing over the charge of the shrine and other connected temples took place on November 3, on the basis of the apex court's order passed on November 1. The court had then ordered the state government to return ornaments and other movables, besides the documents, audit report, pertaining to the ancient Gokarna Mahabaleshwara Temple, to the Mutt.

The Mutt, led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, filed a contempt petition against the state authorities for violating the apex court's orders. The court had on October 3 ordered for maintaining of the status quo as was prevailing on September 7 in the temple situated in Uttara Kannada district.

The issue before the top court arose after the high court on August 10 quashed the B S Yeddyurappa government's decision of August 12, 2008 to hand over control of the temple to the Mutt.