THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE A.V. SESHA SAI WRIT PETITION No.26777 of 2003 Between:
R. Laxmi Narasimha Prasad PETITIONER AND
1. The Commissioner of Endowments Department, Tilak Road, Hyderabad, and others.
RESPONDENTS ORDER:
This writ petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, seeking to declare the action of the respondents in depriving the archana, the plate collections and kanukas offered by the devotees and in attempting to install a hundy and introducing tickets for entry, the archana and sevas in Sri Laxmi Narasimha Swamyvari Group of Temples at Bheemunipatnam, Visakhapatnam District, as illegal, arbitrary, unjust and without jurisdiction apart from being violative of principles of natural justice.
2. Heard Sri Koka Raghava Rao, learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Government Pleader for Endowments for respondents 1 and 2 and Sri K.K. Durga Prasad, learned counsel appearing for the 3rd respondent-temple, apart from perusing the material available on record.
3. According to the petitioner he is an Archaka of Sri Laxminarasimha Swamyvari Group of Temples, which includes Jaganadha Swamy and Venu Gopal Swamy Temples at Bheemunipatnam, Visakhapatnam District. The grievance of the petitioner, precisely, in the present writ petition is that the respondents are depriving him of archana, the plate collections and kanukas offered by the devotees and attempting to install a hundy and introducing tickets for entry, the archana and sevas in the temple.
4. Responding to the Rule Nisi issued by this court, counter affidavits have been filed on behalf of the respondents. It is categorically stated in the said counter affidavits that the temple authorities never demanded for any plate collections nor kanukas nor keeping any hundies, selling tickets for archana and sevas in the temple. It is also stated in the affidavits that there is no intention on the part of the temple in claiming share in the plate collections and kanukas, and there is no intention to instal hundy or to introduce tickets for entry, archana and sevas in the temple. It is also stated that the allegation of the petitioner to the said effect is preposterous and travesty of truth.
5. In view of the said submissions made in the counter affidavits, this Court does not find any further need to adjudicate the issue.
6. For the aforesaid reasons, this writ petition is closed. No order as to costs. As a sequel, the miscellaneous petitions, if any, shall stand closed.
JUSTICE A.V. SESHA SAI.
9th July, 2014 Js.