NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to accept a PIL seeking to issue a slew of directions to protect, audit and regulate religious and heritage properties of Sikhs across the country.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalia Bagchi asked the petitioner Charanjit Singh, who appeared in person and argued his case, to raise his grievances before the Parliamentary Petitions Committee.
Singh, who was also associated with the Delhi Sikh body, at one point bowed down before the bench and urged him to issue a notice. “I bow down before you. Please issue notice on my petition,” Singh said.
The CJI said the court’s doors are always open, but the relief sought falls within the legislative domain.
The ICJ said: “The court is here for you; you can come whenever you want. But these cases require amendments to the law, for which you must go to Parliament. You must contact the Parliament’s Petitions Committee.”
“If we intervene, it may appear as if there is interference in religious affairs,” the ICJ said, while giving the petitioner the freedom to return to the Supreme Court if he remained dissatisfied with the parliamentary response.
The PIL sought a comprehensive overhaul of how Sikh religious and heritage properties are managed across the country.
“They issued an injunction directing the Union of India to constitute a National Authority for the Protection of Khalsai Sikh Heritage to identify, preserve, review and protect all Khalsai Sikh heritage properties throughout India,” the statement read.
It also sought to direct all state governments and union territories to prepare and submit “a complete inventory of all Sikh religious and historical properties and endowments within their jurisdictions, including details of ownership, lease, transfer and encroachments”.
It also sought a direction to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India to conduct a special audit of all statutory bodies, boards, commissions and trusts managing Sikh religious properties.
It also sought a direction to the CBI and Enforcement Directorate to investigate cases “involving large-scale illegal transfer, undervaluation, misappropriation or laundering of proceeds derived from Sikh heritage properties”.
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