Photo credit: ANI NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Bombay HC order that had quashed Maharashtra govt’s decision to appoint Ahilyanagar Collector as administrator of the trust managing famous Shani Shinganapur temple and asked Nashik Divisional Commissioner to administer the trust saying it wanted to prevent possible defalcation of funds.Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, for Maharashtra govt, informed a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant that there was gross mismanagement of funds by the erstwhile trust, which has been revived by the HC by quashing of the state’s Sep 22 decision to appoint administrator.Mehta said the trust had employed 2,400 employees for the temple. Is such a huge workforce required for management of the temple, he asked and informed the court that the trust was spending more than Rs 2 crore on salaries and other heads which indicate that the funds were going elsewhere.For the trust, advocate Pradnya Talekar made a spirited attack on the govt’s intention to politicize the matter and control the temple for electoral gains. Though her line of argument earned praise from the court and the SG, the bench said it is surprising that the Collector on Dec 12, the day the HC passed the order and despite it being communicated to him that the state would file an appeal in SC, called the trust office bearers and handed over the charge.CJI Kant said, “This indicates that the trustees are powerful local politicians of whom the Collector is afraid of. He does not give a day’s breathing time to the state to file an appeal. He immediately prepares inventory and hands over charge to the trust.”The bench noted that the trust’s tenure is coming to an end on Dec 31 and said that it would not be prudent to hand them over the charge of the temple management. If a bureaucrat manages it as administrator, then he can be held accountable, the bench said and ordered that while the Nashik DC would be the administrator, two judicial officers would assist him.The court also asked Maharashtra govt to file a status report on framing of Rules for implementation of the Shree Shanaishwar Devasthan Trust (Shingnapur) Act, 2018. The state in its appeal had said, “The 2018 Act is a special enactment intended to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective administration of a major public religious institution involving substantial public donations and serious law-and-order considerations.”“The interim appointment of the District Collector as Administrator was strictly in accordance with Section 36(3) of the Act and was necessitated to avoid disruption pending constitution of the Management Committee under Section 5,” it had said.The HC on Dec 12, while quashing the appointment of District Collector as administrator had directed handing over of all movable and immovable properties of the trust within seven days to the committee, which existed prior to the appointment of administrator.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosMarco Rubio Hails Donald Trump As Global Peacemaker Amid Dispute Over India Pakistan Ceasefire ClaimChina Reviving Air, Submarine Bases In Bangladesh Amid Unrest, Ex-Envoy Warns Of Strategic TrapUN Warns Bangladesh Against Violence After Protest Leader Osman Hadi Shot, Seeks Accountability Now’Yoga Is Medicine, Not Just Practice’: PM Modi’s Global Message At WHO Traditional Medicine SummitVaping, Bhow-Bhow & Shouting Match: A Look At Viral Moments Of Parl As Chaotic Winter Session EndsBondi Beach Terror Suspect Visited Hyderabad Six Times After Leaving India, Telangana Police Reveal’To Delay Elections, Instigate India’: Former Minister Blames Yunus Govt For Bangladesh ViolenceBangladesh Crisis: Tharoor Panel Red Flags 5 Reasons That Make It India’s Biggest Test Since 1971Rijiju Blames Congress As Parliament Session Ends Without Pollution Debate, Jairam Ramesh RespondsBangladesh: Hindu Man Lynching Sparks Outrage, Former Indian Envoy Calls Situation Total Mobocracy123PhotostoriesChristmas 2025: Best Christmas books to gift your childBollywood’s green brigade, Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, go plant-poweredThese places can bring bad luck based on your birth dateWeight loss Diet: How to make Mushroom Oats Omelette with just 1 tsp oil for breakfastCelebrity divorces and breakups in Bollywood in 2025: From Dhanashree Verma-Yuzvendra Chahal to Tamannaah Bhatia to Vijay Verma5 simple moves that keep kids active without calling it a workoutMerry Christmas 2025: The hidden science behind snowflakes and why no two are ever the sameBaby names inspired by female warriors of IndiaThe right way to add protein to your diet, according to ICMRAlia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana redefine method dressing123Hot Picksvb g ram gEpstein files releasedUAE RainGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays DecemberBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingJosh Allen Luxury Car CollectionRandi MahomesAuston MatthewsWho is Nicole LundersJeremy Doku and Shireen Doku Net WorthRBSE Rajasthan Board Exam Time TableWalker Buehlers WifeSibley ScolesAssam Rajdani Express TragedyUS Strikes
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Bombay HC order that had quashed Maharashtra govt’s decision to appoint Ahilyanagar Collector as administrator of the trust managing famous Shani Shinganapur temple and asked Nashik Divisional Commissioner to administer the trust saying it wanted to prevent possible defalcation of funds.Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, for Maharashtra govt, informed a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant that there was gross mismanagement of funds by the erstwhile trust, which has been revived by the HC by quashing of the state’s Sep 22 decision to appoint administrator.Mehta said the trust had employed 2,400 employees for the temple. Is such a huge workforce required for management of the temple, he asked and informed the court that the trust was spending more than Rs 2 crore on salaries and other heads which indicate that the funds were going elsewhere.For the trust, advocate Pradnya Talekar made a spirited attack on the govt’s intention to politicize the matter and control the temple for electoral gains. Though her line of argument earned praise from the court and the SG, the bench said it is surprising that the Collector on Dec 12, the day the HC passed the order and despite it being communicated to him that the state would file an appeal in SC, called the trust office bearers and handed over the charge.CJI Kant said, “This indicates that the trustees are powerful local politicians of whom the Collector is afraid of. He does not give a day’s breathing time to the state to file an appeal. He immediately prepares inventory and hands over charge to the trust.”The bench noted that the trust’s tenure is coming to an end on Dec 31 and said that it would not be prudent to hand them over the charge of the temple management. If a bureaucrat manages it as administrator, then he can be held accountable, the bench said and ordered that while the Nashik DC would be the administrator, two judicial officers would assist him.The court also asked Maharashtra govt to file a status report on framing of Rules for implementation of the Shree Shanaishwar Devasthan Trust (Shingnapur) Act, 2018. The state in its appeal had said, “The 2018 Act is a special enactment intended to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective administration of a major public religious institution involving substantial public donations and serious law-and-order considerations.”“The interim appointment of the District Collector as Administrator was strictly in accordance with Section 36(3) of the Act and was necessitated to avoid disruption pending constitution of the Management Committee under Section 5,” it had said.The HC on Dec 12, while quashing the appointment of District Collector as administrator had directed handing over of all movable and immovable properties of the trust within seven days to the committee, which existed prior to the appointment of administrator.
