On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court announced its intention to consider a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initiated by a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. The PIL questions the validity of the Pandharpur Temples Act, which grants the Maharashtra government the authority to manage the temples' administration.

During the proceedings, Advocate General Birendra Saraf and Subramanian Swamy informed the bench that all the necessary legal documents and arguments had been presented, and suggested that the case could be scheduled for a final hearing.

The division bench of the high court, consisting of Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor, has announced that the PIL will be scheduled for its final hearing on January 10th at 2:30 PM.

Former Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court with the aim of liberating the temples of Lord Vithal and Lord Rukmini in Pandharpur from government-administered control.

Swamy's plea asserts that the government's takeover of the Pandharpur Temples infringes upon the rights of Hindus to freely profess, practice, and promote their religion, as well as manage Hindu Religious Endowments and their own religious matters.

On August 22, the high court had requested a response from the state government regarding this matter.

Furthermore, it is mentioned that despite the Act being enacted in 1973, the temple's administration remained under the control of the previous priest until 2014 when the government assumed responsibility for its administration.

During the previous hearing, the high court approved the intervention application filed by the Shree Vitthal Rukmini Temples Committee and granted them the permission to make submissions, considering that they are a statutory committee established under the act.

The high court has scheduled the hearing of the PIL for January 10.

Case: Dr. Subramaniam Swamy v. State of Maharashtra.