J&K Govt Directs SIT Probe Into Illegal Lease Of Temple Properties

The divisional commissioner's office in Kashmir sent a letter ordering all 10 deputy commissioners to look into the unauthorised leasing of religious properties and their unauthorised usage.

Representational Image.

Source : Twitter/ANI

Officials stated on Friday that authorities in Kashmir have asked a special investigative team to look into claims of the unlawful leasing of religious assets in the valley, news agency PTI reported.

Ten DCs in Kashmir have received a letter from the Lieutenant Governor's Secretariat References Monitoring Unit, Jammu & Kashmir, asking them to look into the unlawful leasing of temple premises and connections to temple properties being utilised illegally.

"I am hereby directed to enclose herewith copy of communication along with its enclosures bearing O.M no. GAD-RMC/256/2022-LGRMC-GAD dated 20-05-2022 received from Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat References Monitoring Cell, Jammu & Kashmir with the request to ascertain any such instances in your district and take appropriate necessary action under rules with intimation to this office," the letter reads. 

Also, the DCs have been positively instructed to provide the most recent inventory of Religious Minority Properties (Temple, Gurudwara, Others) within a week.

The investigation was started as a result of complaints from several Kashmiri Pandit organisations over the leasing of many temple properties.

J&K Peace Forum, an organization of Kashmiri Pandits, alleged that government officials, in connivance with a select group of people, operated defunct temple trusts between 1989 to 2022 and illegally sold off temple properties in Kashmir. The temple trusts/societies had failed to comply with the statutory compliances laid down by the J&K State Government since its inception.

The Forum in its complaint has alleged: "More than 100 defunct temple trusts/societies are operating illegally in the Valley of Kashmir and outside Kashmir. The defunct societies/temple trusts have not submitted any audit reports from 1990 to 2023". 

(With Inputs From PTI)