The Delhi High Court was informed on Thursday that the Union government has no plans to install CCTV cameras inside the sanctum sanctorum of the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.
The Centre clarified that surveillance cameras are being set up only in public approach areas and passages leading up to the sanctum to prevent pickpocketing, harassment, and theft incidents.
Justice Sachin Datta, taking note of the submission, directed the government to expedite the appointment of members to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah Committee, which has remained non-functional since 2022.
“Let the process be expedited and members be appointed as expeditiously as possible, preferably within three months,” the court said while disposing of the plea.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Syed Meharaj Miya, a khadim (hereditary caretaker) of the dargah, challenging the Centre-appointed Nazim’s decision to install cameras within the sanctum.
The dargah committee, responsible for managing the affairs of the 13th-century shrine, has been lying defunct, leaving the Nazim and assistant Nazim to take decisions related to the shrine’s administration.
After the Centre’s counsel clarified that no cameras would be installed inside the sanctum and the move followed a security audit, the petitioner’s counsel said there was no objection to cameras being placed in public areas, leading the court to close the case.
The petitioner also urged the court to direct the Centre to appoint the dargah management committee, alleging financial irregularities in the current administration.
“The said anomalies in the finances of the dargah committee are extremely alarming and would be adversely affecting the trust and confidence of devotees and pilgrims of Sufi Saint Khwaja Sahib from across the world,” the plea stated.
The Ajmer Sharif Dargah, one of India’s most revered Sufi shrines, attracts millions of devotees annually across faiths.
