Mail News Service
Jamshedpur: The Supreme Court of India has declined to grant a stay on the January 14, 2026, order of the Jharkhand High Court in connection with the ongoing dispute over the Thakurbari Laxmi Temple land in Jamshedpur.
The order came after the Apex Court heard Special Leave Petition (SLP) No. 8286 of 2026, filed by Kamal Agarwal. Following the hearing, the court refused to interfere with the High Court’s directions at this stage.
The matter has now been listed for further hearing on March 16, 2026, with the court directing Respondent No. 5 to file an affidavit within three days.
Historical Background of the Temple Land
During the hearing, advocate Rishav Ranjan informed the court that the land in question was originally granted by a tribal individual to a Bengali trust in 1904, long before the establishment of Tata Steel or the development of Jamshedpur.
He further stated that the temple property stands vested with the Jharkhand Hindu Religious Trust Board following a judgment of the Patna High Court delivered in 1976.
Allegations of Illegal Construction
According to submissions made before the court, a private trust committee allegedly took control of the temple land and constructed a four-storey commercial complex without obtaining any sanctioned building plan from the Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee.
The advocate also told the court that the bank accounts linked to the commercial complex have already been seized following directions of the Jharkhand High Court in W.P.(C) No. 3866 of 2020.
High Court Order on Investigation
The High Court had taken note of allegations raised in a writ petition filed by Vijendra Kumar Sharma, claiming illegal encroachment and construction on the land of “Thakur Bari Radha Krishna Public Temple.”
In its December 11, 2023, order, Justice S. N. Pathak directed the state authorities to file a detailed affidavit explaining why the alleged illegal construction had not been stopped.
The court also asked the Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum to conduct a proper investigation and place the complete facts on record.
Moreover, the High Court ordered that all financial transactions of the private trust committee and the commercial complex be seized and halted until further orders.
The Jharkhand Religious Trust Board was also directed to clarify whether the temple was constituted under government authority and whether any private committee had the legal right to undertake construction or manage the premises.
Legal Representation
In the Supreme Court proceedings, Kamal Agarwal was represented by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain. With the apex court refusing interim relief, the matter will now proceed further when the case is taken up again on March 16.
