Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Aug 7: Karnataka High Court on Thursday August 6, refused to vacate the stay order issued by it against the order issued by the endowments commissioner, appointing nine people to the governing council of Kollur Goddess Mookambika Temple.

The High Court had granted the stay on Tuesday August 4, while hearing a petition moved by former state Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Harikrishna Punaroor and others, who were interested to become members of the governing council. They had contended that the appointments to the temple council were illegal, as a few persons appointed through the said order, faced criminal cases and Lokayukta investigation. They also said that the endowments commissioner had made the appointments, purely based on the recommendations of the Chief Minister, without going into the merits of the individuals.

Justice Ajit Gunjal, who heard the petition moved by Krishnaprasad Adyantaya, managing trustee and Srinivas Kalluraya, member of the governing council of the said temple, who prayed for the stay to be vacated, refused to grant their prayer. Advocate for the petitioners argued that the appointments were made by the endowment commissioner himself independently and not as per the recommendations of the Chief Minister. The Judge however, refused to buy their argument. He remarked that prima facie, the appointments were made on the basis of a recommendation letter written by the Chief Minister to the endowments commissioner. While observing that this is not the first time that such things are happening and that the court had, in the past, observed that the Chief Minister, home minister and the legislators have earlier too made recommendations for such appointments routinely, Justice Gunjal said, the officers seem to be simply following the instructions without properly giving thought to what order they are signing.