IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE C.N.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR & THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.S.GOPINATHAN WEDNESDAY, THE 31ST MARCH 2010 / 10TH CHAITHRA 1932 WP(C).No. 4381 of 2010(W) ------------------------- PETITIONER: --------------- C.MOHANAN, S/O.KRISHNANKUTTY MENON, ILLATHU CHERUVELIL, SOUTH CHITTOOR, KOCHI, ERNAKULAM. BY ADV. SRI.S.SUBHASH CHAND SMT.M.P.MARY RESPONDENTS: --------------- 1. THE COCHIN DEVASWOM BOARD, OFFICE OF THE COCHIN DEVASWOM BOARD, REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY. 2. THE DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER/SPECIAL DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER, OFFICE OF THE DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER, COCHIN DEVASWOM BOARD, THRISSUR. 3. THE ASSISTANT DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER, OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT DEVASWOM COMMISSIONER, THRIPUNITHURA. 4. THE DEVASWOM OFFICER, OFFICE OF THE DEVASWOM OFFICER, THEKKEN CHITTOOR SREE KRISHNA SWAMY TEMPLE, SOUTH CHITTOOR, ERNAKULAM. 5. TEMPLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THEKKEN CHITTOOR SREE KRISHNA SWAMY TEMPLE, SOUTH CHITTOOR, ERNAKULAM REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY. ADV. SRI.K.GOPALAKRISHNA KURUP,SC,COCHIN D.B FOR R1-4 SRI.M.S.UNNIKRISHNAN FOR R5 THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 31/03/2010, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: APPENDIX PETITIONER'S EXHIBITS: P1: TRUE COPY OF ORDER DT.24.12.2009 BEARING NO.A5/12364/09 PASSED BY RESPONDENT NO.1. P2: TRUE COPY OF COMPLAINT DT.29.1.2009 SUBMITTED BY ONE SRI.K.N.KRISHNAKUMAR BEFORE THE LEARNED OMBUDSMAN FOR TRAVANCORE COCHIN DEVASWOM BOARD DT.29.1.2009 (EXCLUDING ANNEXURES). TRUE COPY PA TO JUDGE C.N.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR & P.S.GOPINATHAN, JJ. .................................................................... W.P.(C) No.4381 of 2010 .................................................................... Dated this the 31st day of March, 2010. JUDGMENT Ramachandran Nair, J. The W.P.(C) is filed challenging the extension of tenure of the Temple Advisory Committee of the Thekken Chittoor Sree Krishna Swamy Temple by one year from 31.12.2009 after the tenure of the present committee was over. The petitioner's allegation is that the Devaswom Board unnecessarily extended the tenure of the committee by one year without any justification. However, Standing Counsel for Cochin Devaswom Board and counsel appearing for the 5th respondent submitted that tenure is extended only because of extensive renovation work undertaken by the committee which is continued even as of now. However, it is conceded by the 5th respondent that the Committee's effort is to complete all work before the annual festival that is to commence by the end of April 2010. The committee is said to have made arrangements for conduct of the annual festival as well. In these circumstances, we feel new committee should be reconstituted soon W.P.(C) 4381/2010 2 after the festival is over, by which time renovation work also will be over. We, therefore, direct the present committee to conclude all matters including settlement of accounts for the work done and for the festival by 31st May, 2010. The Cochin Devaswom Board will constitute fresh Advisory Committee in June 2010 itself under Section 76A of the Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act. It is for the Devaswom Board to arrange for audit of the accounts of the temple including the income and expenditure on renovation work, festival etc. W.P.(C) is disposed of as above. C.N.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR Judge P.S.GOPINATHAN Judge pms