Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 14: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by president and two members of Executive Committee of Dewan Mandir Society seeking declaration of Dewan Mandir as Protected Monument, Division Bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar today granted two weeks to the respondents to file objections.
“Objections by respondents except State and Union of India have been filed and AAG Seema Shekhar has sought time to file objections”, the DB observed and granted two weeks time for filing objections.
In the PIL, it has been submitted that the Dewan Mandir is an ancient temple which had been constructed in the year 1897 by one Dewan Jawala and deities of Laxmi Narayan were installed there. The temple has huge property spread over kanals of land. It has 70 shops with each costing about Rs 25 lakh.
The temple was given to Dewan Jawala and Pujaries were appointed for the maintenance of temple. The temple has its own history and has been discussed in various books. But at present the temple property is being destroyed and some part of it is being encroached and a portion of temple property has been converted into parking by Jammu Development Authority.
There is no maintenance of the temple property by Jammu Municipal Corporation and the JDA. The Deputy Commissioner has been approached many times but nothing has been done so far for the maintenance of the temple property, the petitioners said while seeking declaration of temple as Protected Monument under Section 3 of the Ancient Monument Act, 1904.
Follow our WhatsApp channel