Temple demolition allegations: Bar association president apologises to Madhya Pradesh Chief Justice for claims ‘without proof’

“For decades we had this tradition of the High Court Chief Justice attending our Republic Day function. Bar associations in Indore were sloganeering against me. In the end I had to bury this issue for the sake of our judiciary’s relations,” he said.

“I complained to the Supreme Court about the demolition of Hanuman temple. I did not have proof. A Bar association member raised this issue and many came forward and told me to take up this issue. In the end it became a polarising issue. The relations between the Bar and Bench were at a historic low,” Jain told The Indian Express.

The allegation was first raised by advocate Ravindra Nath Tripathi in an application dated December 22, 2024 that was mailed to the Chief Justice of India, the President and the Prime Minister. He alleged that Justice Kait had demolished a Hanuman temple located on the premises of his official bungalow. A day later, the application was forwarded to higher government authorities seeking action.

Days later, the MP Registrar General had refuted the allegations stating that reports on the “demolition of the mandir are entirely untrue and serve no purpose other than to discredit the reputation of our judiciary, which remains committed to upholding justice with fairness and impartiality”.

Later, the Registrar General also clarified that the allegations were fabricated. “The Public Works Department has also clarified the matter and has confirmed that no mandir has ever been present at the residence of the Hon’ble the Chief Justice. The allegations being circulated in some sections of the media are fabricated and appear to be a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and malign the integrity of the judicial system,” the Registrar General wrote in a letter in December 2024.