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Bombay HC Rules Priests Entitled to Share of Temple Donations
21 Mar
Summary
- Priests are entitled to 75% of temple offerings and donations.
- The court ordered trustees to implement the existing trust scheme.
- Priests were denied their share and prayer rights since 2005-06.
The Bombay High Court recently mandated that trustees of the Ekveera Devasthan, a shrine in Karla caves, must ensure priests receive their designated share of offerings and donations. This decision stems from a petition filed by Bhagawant Raghuji Deshmukh, the son of a priest.
Deshmukh argued he was entitled to one-eighth of the temple's offerings following his father's passing, as per the trust's approved scheme. He sought to perform prayers and receive his rightful share, which had allegedly been withheld since 2005-06.
A division bench noted that the existing trust scheme allocates 75% of all offerings and donations to priests. The court emphasized that the trustees are bound to adhere to this scheme formulated by the charity commissioner.
Consequently, the court overturned a prior decision by the assistant charity commissioner that had directed Deshmukh to pursue the matter in a civil court. The High Court deemed this refusal to hear the case as unjustified, ordering the trustees to comply with the scheme.
