The fight over administrative control of the Radharaman Swaminaryan temple in Junagadh (Vadtal sect) has now reached the Gujarat High Court. A newly-elected office bearer of the temple board has challenged the order of Rajkot Joint Charity Commissioner in the HC.

Acting on a petition filed by two members of the temple board, the Joint Charity Commissioner had said the election of office bearers of the temple board was in violation of the rules, and asked the board members not to take administrative decisions on the resolutions passed by them.

One Balvant Dhami, however, has requested the HC to quash the Joint Charity Commissioner’s order as it is “illegal, arbitrary and contrary to settled legal position”. In his petition, Dhami has named 12 people as respondents, including the Joint Charity Commissioner.

According to the details of the case, the chief of Vadtal Gadi, Acharya Rakesh Prasad, had nominated Dhami as one of the members of the temple board committee following the election on June 1, 2009. Subsequently, Dhami was elected vice-president of the temple board along with other office bearers, who had passed certain resolutions for the administration of the temple.

Calling the election of the president and vice-president of the temple board, and the resolutions passed by them, as contrary to rules, two members of the temple board, Shantilal Ratanpara and Limbabhai Dhankecha, had filed a petition before the Joint Charity Commissioner under the provisions of the Bombay Public Trusts Act.

In his order dated September 7, the Joint Charity Commissioner ruled that the election of the president and vice-president is against the rules. He also ordered not to administer the temple as per the resolutions passed by the newly-elected office bearers.