Ranchi, September 07, 2026: The Jharkhand High Court on Monday sought details about the land belonging to the historic Jagannathpur Temple and whether any part of it has been encroached upon, as the court continued hearing a dispute concerning the temple’s management and administration.
The hearing was conducted by Justice Ananda Sen. A committee constituted to examine the proposed scheme for running and managing the temple did not submit its report during Monday’s proceedings.
The 11-member committee instead sought clarity from the court regarding its proposed structure and the responsibilities it would be expected to undertake.
Court seeks clarity on temple land
During the hearing, the Jagannathpur Temple Trust Committee sought consideration of the matter on its merits. The petitioners, meanwhile, raised allegations of encroachment on temple land.
Justice Sen asked for details of the total land available with the temple and whether any portion of it is under encroachment. The court directed that the position be clarified before the matter is taken up further.
The next hearing has been scheduled for September 16.
Advocate Bharat Kumar appeared on behalf of the Jharkhand Hindu Religious Trust Board during the proceedings.
11-member committee yet to submit report
The committee was constituted during the previous hearing under the chairmanship of Advocate General Rohit Roy. Its mandate was to examine the proposed scheme concerning the operation and management of Jagannathpur Temple and submit its report to the High Court.
However, the committee’s report was not placed before the court on Monday, with the panel seeking clarification about its role and scope.
The proceedings also relate to an earlier direction by the High Court to the Jharkhand Hindu Religious Trust Board to prepare a scheme under Section 32 of the Jharkhand Hindu Religious Trust Board Act for the temple’s management and administration.
The board subsequently submitted its proposed scheme before the court.
The upcoming hearing is expected to focus on the proposed management framework, the role of the committee and the factual position regarding the temple’s land and alleged encroachment. The court will take up the matter again on September 16.
