Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The Aurangabad bench of the Mumbai High Court on Friday quashed the state government’s decision to dismiss the board of trustees of Shani Shinganapur Devasthan and appoint an administrator, restoring management to the original board.
On September 22, the government had removed the trustees of Shri Shanaishwar Devasthan, Shinganapur, and appointed the Ahilyanagar District Collector as administrator. Trustees, including Bhagwat Banker, challenged the decision through a writ petition in the Aurangabad bench. During initial hearings, the court maintained the status quo, allowing the administrative committee appointed by the collector to manage the temple temporarily.
During the final hearing, Advocate Satish Talekar argued that under Sections 5 and 36 of the Shri Shanaishwar Devasthan Trust Act, 2018, there is no provision for appointing an administrator and that management must legally remain with the trustees. The bench, comprising Justices Vibha Kankanwadi and Hiten Venegavkar, agreed, canceling the administrator’s appointment and restoring the status quo. The administrative committee was ordered to transfer all movable and immovable temple property back to the trustees within seven days. Advocates Satish Talekar, Pragya Talekar, and Ajinkya Kale represented the petitioners, while Advocate Atul Kale represented the government.