HC order on Ajmer shrine upheld

The Supreme Court has held that it is “moral and legal obligation” of all the stakeholders to account for the offerings made at the shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer. Refusing to interfere with a series of directions issued by the Rajasthan High Court in November, a Bench led by Justice K S Radhakrishnan also lifted the status quo order passed in the matter after Khadims (descendants of close disciples of Moinuddin Chishti) appealed against it. 

“Necessity of proper accounting and transparency in the entire functioning of the dargah is necessary in the larger public interest with regard to entire amount received at the shrine, whether it is inside or outside the dome,” the Bench said.

The HC had directed the government-appointed Nazim (administrator) of the Ajmer dargah to take charge of collection and distribution of offerings at the shrine. It had said that the Dewan (descendant of the Sufi saint) and his followers will not be restricted from entering and sitting inside the shrine. The Nazim was asked to keep proper locked boxes at several places in the dargah, which would then be distributed equally among Khadims and Dewan. Khadmis had moved the SC, challenging some HC directions with regard to the sharing of the Nazrana.