Cuttack, Dec 13: The Orissa High Court has imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 on the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) for suppressing facts in review petition.
While dismissing the petition filed by SJTA for review of the order which directed to restore within three months the Danadhyakshya Seva on February 5, 2024, the High Court on Wednesday directed to deposit the amount with its Bar Association Advocates’ Welfare Fund within four weeks.
The division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice MS Raman got irked as the petition was found to be the second successive one for review, but there was no mention about the review petition which was dismissed earlier on June 21, 2024.
The bench refused to entertain the petition as the SJTA failed to show “sufficient and reasonable” cause for the inordinate delay in filing it.
The review petition was required to be filed on or before March 6, 2024, but it was filed on July 16, 2024.
The judgement assumes significance as the devotees visiting the temple for darshan will get Prasad with restoration of the Danadhyakshya Seva.
According to the case records, the temple authorities discontinued the age-old Danadhyakshya Seva over 68 years ago. Danadhyakshya sevaks were appointed by the king for the ritual and they were getting their share for the betterment of the temple, and the devotees were getting Prasad.
