6 days ago
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The Supreme Court connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a slew of directions for protection, audit and regularisation of Sikh spiritual and practice properties crossed the country.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi asked petitioner Charanjeet Singh, who appeared successful idiosyncratic and argued his case, to rise his grievances earlier the Parliamentary Petitions Committee.
Mr. Singh, who was besides attached to a Delhi Sikh body, astatine 1 constituent bowed earlier the seat and urged it to contented notice. “I bow earlier you. Please contented a announcement connected my petition,” Mr. Singh said.
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) said portion the doors of the tribunal are ever open, the alleviation sought fell wrong the legislative domain. "The tribunal is present for you; you whitethorn travel whenever you wish. But these issues necessitate amendments to the law, for which you indispensable spell to Parliament. You should attack the Petition Committee of Parliament," the CJI said.
"If we measurement in, it mightiness look arsenic though determination is interference successful spiritual matters," the CJI said, portion granting the petitioner the liberty to instrumentality to the Supreme Court if helium remains dissatisfied with the Parliamentary response. The PIL sought a sweeping overhaul of however Sikh spiritual and practice properties are managed crossed the country.
"Issue a writ of mandamus directing the Union of India to represent a National Khalsayi Sikh Heritage Protection Authority for identification, preservation, audit and extortion of each Khalsayi Sikh practice properties crossed India,” it said. It besides sought a absorption to each State governments and the Union Territories (UTs) to hole and taxable to the tribunal a “complete inventory of each Sikh religious, humanities and endowment properties wrong their respective jurisdictions, including details of ownership, lease, transportation and encroachments”.
It besides sought a absorption to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India to behaviour a peculiar audit of each statutory bodies, boards, committees and trusts managing Sikh spiritual properties.
It besides sought a absorption to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate to inquire into cases “involving large-scale amerciable alienation, undervaluation, misappropriation oregon laundering of proceeds derived from Sikh practice properties”.
