The Allahabad High Court has refused to intervene in the eviction battle between shopkeepers and the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan, holding that the tenants cannot claim protection under the state’s rent control law. The court also directed the trial court to wrap up all pending eviction proceedings within two months.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agrawal delivered the order on Monday while dismissing a petition filed by three shop tenants operating inside the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple complex in Mathura. The dispute arose after the Sansthan, which manages the temple, initiated eviction suits once the tenants’ 11-month licences expired and they declined to vacate their shops.
The shopkeepers argued that the Sansthan is not a public religious or charitable trust. If accepted, this would have brought their tenancy under the protective umbrella of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Buildings (Regulation of Letting, Rent and Eviction) Act, 1972, giving them a legal shield against eviction.
The court examined the Sansthan’s documents and rejected the tenants’ stand, noting that its stated objectives involve religious and welfare activities for Hindus across the world. This, Justice Agrawal held, places it squarely within the category of a public religious and charitable institution.
Properties owned by such institutions are exempt from the 1972 rent control law, the judge said, adding that the tenants could not claim statutory protection against eviction.
Finding no merit in the petition, the High Court dismissed it and directed the trial court to expedite and conclude the eviction proceedings against shopkeeper Padma Raghav and two others within two months.
