Overview

• A Supreme Court bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi ordered that the petition challenging the 2025 Ordinance be listed only after a pending miscellaneous application before the Chief Justice is heard and disposed of.
• Petitioners representing the hereditary Sewayat Goswami families argue that transferring control to the government-appointed trust breaches their constitutional rights under Articles 25 and 26 by overriding centuries-old management practices.
• The Allahabad High Court adjourned its hearing to August 6, noting that the Supreme Court’s pending review renders its own examination premature.
• Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal indicated that the state should amend the Ordinance to eliminate ex-officio bureaucratic trustees to protect the temple’s private status.
• Section 5 of the Ordinance provides for both nominated religious figures and ex-officio officials on the trust board, prompting concerns that government appointees could undermine traditional custodianship.