(Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, JJ.)
Sarika _____________________________________________ Petitioner
v.
Administrator, Mahakaleshwar Mandir Committee, Ujjain (MP) & Ors. _______________________________________________ Respondent(s)
Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (C) No(s). 15459/2017, decided on August 25, 2017
(and IA No. 63079/2017-Clarification/Direction and IA No. 77439/2017-Exemption From Filing O.T.)
The Order of the court was delivered by
Order
1. Archeological Survey of India through its Director General, Ministry of Culture, Geological Survey of India through its Deputy Director General, Ministry of Mines, Government of India and Union of India through its Secretary, Ministry of Mines are added as party respondents to this petition.
2. Mr. Mishra Saurabh, Adv. appears and accepts notice on behalf of respondents No. 2 to 4.
3. Let the response to the main petition be filed within three weeks.
4. A proposal has been submitted by Mr. Tushar Mehta, learned ASG for constitution of an Expert Committee and to nominate the names of two officers of Archaeological Survey of India and two officers of Geological Survey of India. It is submitted by Mr. Mehta that the officers are experts in the field.
5. The Central Government suggests the following team:
| 1. | For Archaeological Survey of India | 1. Shri Madan Singh Chauhan, Regional Director, (Archaeologist), ASI, Central Region, Bhopal 2. Dr. V.K. Saxena, Director (Science), (Archaeological Chemist), ASI, Science Branch, Dehradun |
| 2. | For Geological Survey of India | 1. Shri Hemraj Suryavanshi, Dy. Director, General, State Unit, Madhya Pradesh, GSI, Bhopal 2. Shri L.L. Vishwakarma, Director, Su: MP, GSI, Bhopal |
6. The Union of India shall bear the expenses of the Committee so formed. The Committee to study/survey/analyse/examine Mahakaleshwar Jyotiklingam of Ujjain (MP) and to prepare a report containing the rate at which the deterioration in the size of Lingam is taking place, if any, and the measures/steps/precautions to be taken to ensure that this deterioration/shrinkage of the Lingam stops. Let the Committee also study the other structures and also the temple and submit what steps are required to be taken to overall improve the entire premises and for its preservation.
7. Let the Committee make a study and report inter alia as how much deterioration of Lingam has taken place during the last three-four decades and what remedial steps have to be taken.
8. Let the Committee submit a report be within a period of four weeks from today. A copy of the report as and when submitted be furnished to the learned counsel for the parties. We request the Administrator to extend fullest co-operation.
9. List the matter on Tuesday i.e. 03.10.2017.
———
