The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed a contempt plea accusing a Supreme Court-appointed temple committee of violating earlier judicial orders related to darshan timings at the Shri Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal ruled that no willful disobedience was made out against the committee members, who had extended darshan hours to ease hardship faced by devotees.
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Background of the Case
The contempt application was filed by Gaurav Goswami, alleging that the High-Powered Temple Management Committee had breached a 2022 order passed in a public interest litigation concerning the management of the historic Shri Thakur Banke Bihari Ji Temple.
Earlier, a civil court in Mathura had increased darshan timings in November 2022, but that order was stayed by a Division Bench of the High Court. The applicant argued that the stay continued to operate and barred any authority from altering darshan hours.
Meanwhile, disputes over temple administration reached the Supreme Court of India, which stepped in citing administrative deadlock and growing distress among pilgrims.
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Supreme Court’s Intervention
In August 2025, the Supreme Court constituted a High-Powered Temple Management Committee headed by retired High Court judge Justice Ashok Kumar. The panel was tasked with supervising the temple’s day-to-day functioning, both inside and outside the premises, until the High Court finally decides the larger dispute.
The committee included judicial officers, district authorities, police officials, and representatives of temple stakeholders.
What Triggered the Contempt Plea
During a meeting held on September 11, 2025, the committee discussed several operational issues. One of the agenda items focused on increasing darshan timings to manage the heavy daily footfall.
Following the meeting, the District Magistrate of Mathura, acting as Member Secretary of the committee, issued an office memorandum on September 19, 2025, formally extending the darshan hours.
This decision led to the present contempt application, with the petitioner claiming that the committee had acted beyond its authority.
Court’s Observations
After hearing both sides, Justice Agarwal framed the core question clearly - whether the committee’s action amounted to willful disobedience of the High Court’s earlier order.
The court noted that the Supreme Court had granted wide supervisory powers to the committee. “The committee was created precisely to resolve administrative paralysis and ensure smoother functioning of the temple,” the bench observed.
Rejecting the argument that darshan timings were outside the committee’s scope, the court held that managing crowd flow and easing pilgrim distress fell squarely within its mandate.
On Conflict With Earlier Orders
Addressing the stay order of 2022, the bench clarified that the earlier restraint applied to an administrative action taken before the Supreme Court’s intervention.
“The committee is functioning under direct directions of the Apex Court,” the judge said, adding that its decisions could not be treated as a defiance of previous High Court orders.
The court also observed that the increase in darshan time was aimed at public convenience, given the massive influx of devotees visiting the temple daily.
Final Decision
Concluding that there was no violation of judicial orders, Justice Agarwal dismissed the contempt application.
“No case for contempt is made out,” the court ruled, holding that the committee acted within the authority granted by the Supreme Court and in furtherance of orderly temple administration.
The contempt application was accordingly dismissed.
Case Title: Gaurav Goswami vs Justice Ashok Kumar (Retd.) & Others
Case No.: Contempt Application (Civil) No. 5608 of 2025
Decision Date: 22 January 2026
