Answer sought on removal of encroachment near Banke Bihari Temple

Prayagraj, 21 November (HS). Allahabad High Court has sought a reply from the state government for taking demolition action without giving notice around Banke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan, Mathura.

This order has been given by the division bench of Justice Siddharth Verma and Justice Syed Qamar Hasan Rizvi on the PIL filed by Anant Sharma and others. Earlier, the High Court had approved the state government’s proposal to build a corridor on a PIL filed regarding crowd management in Banke Bihari Temple. Besides, orders were also given to remove encroachment around the temple. By order of October 4, 2024, the administration had identified 81 encroached places around the temple, which the court had asked to remove and file an affidavit.

Chief Service Officer Ashok Goswami’s lawyer Shashi Shekhar Mishra said that the administration is demolishing houses without giving notice to the people and without listening to their side. In this regard, he also provided some newspaper cuttings in the court.

On this, the court provided photocopies of newspapers to the Chief Standing Counsel and sought information regarding the demolition without notice. The case will be heard on December 4.