Aurangabad, March 9:
Aurangabad division bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Mangesh S Patil recently maintained status quo regarding the ownership right of Ghrushneshwar temple and property. The next hearing on the petition will be held on April 1, 2022.
The union government on September 27, 1960, gave the responsibility of preserving and securing the 13 acres 2 guntas land of Ghrushneswar temple in Survey No. 299 to the Archaeological Survey of India. Since then, this department is looking after the conservation and safety of the temple and the property. Guards and cleaning staff were appointed and their salaries were given by the department. The Khuldabad tehsildar in 2010 registered the name of the Archeology department and priest Ravindra Pralhadrao Puranik on 7/12 extract.
Puranik claimed that the concerned Inami land was donated by Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar’s family members and his name should be included in the ownership rights.
The archeology department clarified that the person who had received the land from Holkar family had no issue and he adopted a son. Puranik is also an adopted heir.
Puranik claimed the ownership rights in the civil court (senior-level) and the district court accepted his appeal. Both these courts had accepted Puranik’s claim of ownership of the temple and land.
The Archelogy department submitted a petition requesting to grant a stay to the implementation of the civil court order through Adv Ramdas Bhosale. He argued that the temple and the land have been declared as preserved monuments. The archeology department is taking care of and providing security through its expenses.