Jagannath Temple Reforms: SC To Appoint New Amicus Curiae By Dec-End

Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court is most likely appoint a new amicus curiae by the end of December to monitor the implementation of the proposed reforms for Jagannath Temple in Puri.

The apex court took a decision to this effect on Friday after accepting the application from amicus curiae Gopal Subaramanium on his inability to take up the responsibility due to personal reasons.

The apex court, which had scheduled a hearing on temple reforms on the basis of the final report to be submitted by Subramanium on Friday, deferred it to the second week of January.

According to reliable sources, Subaramanium, in a letter to the Supreme Court Registry on November 25, had prayed to relieve him of the responsibility due to personal reasons.

The apex court had appointed Subaramanium as the amicus curiae on June 6 this year and asked him to submit a report on the implementation of the reform proposals on the basis of those filed by Puri district judge and central and the state governments in consultation with the temple sevayats and research scholars of the state.

Acting on the directive of the apex court, Subramanium had visited the Jagannath Temple in the third week of September. During his visit, he had a detailed discussion with Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the sevayat bodies, Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati and the Puri district judge.

He had also sought a detailed report from the SJTA on the violence that had taken place on October 3 with locals and the sevayats protesting against ‘dhadi darshan’ (queue system).

The apex court had later sent a senior lawyer Vivek Raja to collect details on the violence.