Delhi HC to hear Mahant Surendranath's plea on FIR quashing on Feb 11

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice on a petition filed by Mahant Surendranath, seeking the quashing of the FIR registered against him in connection with the electrocution incident at Kalkaji Mandir.

The bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna has scheduled the matter for hearing on February 11.

Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa, representing Mahant Surendranath, submitted that the petitioner, in his role as a Baridar at Kalkaji Mandir during the 2024 Navratri had limited responsibilities. These duties were confined to performing Puja/Seva and managing finances for the relevant arrangements.

Also read: Terror case: Kashmir MP Rashid Engineer seeks interim bail in Delhi high court

Advocate Pahwa further pointed out that the Memorandum of the Kalkaji Mandir Society clearly states that the day-to-day management and operations of the temple were handled by the Prabandhak Committee, not the petitioner. He also emphasized that all necessary permissions and approvals from various departments were obtained by the Prabandhak Committee, absolving the petitioner of responsibility for the temple's daily operations.

It was further stated that the parties have amicably settled their dispute and, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding, have agreed to seek the quashing of the present criminal proceedings. They intend to appear before this Court, submit supporting affidavits, and provide relevant statements. Consequently, continuing with the matter would serve no useful purpose and would amount to an abuse of the court's process, as held by the Supreme Court.

A 17-year-old boy was electrocuted to death at the Kalkaji temple complex in south Delhi in October 2024 triggering a stampede that left at least six people injured. The incident occurred during the early hours of Navratri when the temple was filled with hundreds of devotees on the first day of the festival.

Also read: Supreme Court rejects PIL against VIP darshan fees in temples

An FIR was filed at the Kalkaji police station under sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 125(9) (acts endangering life and personal safety), and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the event organizers. Temple officials, however, emphasized that they had made "sufficient" arrangements based on the expected crowd size. They expressed regret over the incident, calling it "very unfortunate."