Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul also slapped a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on the priest for falsely stating that he was not aware of the sale and for wasting the “precious time of the court”.

“The Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police will register an FIR against the priest and four of his relatives to whom he sold the land and will carry out investigations. If offences are made out then proper action will be taken against them,” Justice Kaul said, while dismissing a suit filed by the priest for getting possession of the land.

The Centre transferred the temple land in question to the DDA in 1983 but the mahant sold it illegally to his relatives in 1999. The priest had on oath assured the court of his ignorance of the transaction and submitted that it was executed by his legal representative without his consent.

The court, after examining all the documents, found the statements of the priest were false and deprecated him for misleading it for pecuniary motives. “Being the head of a religious institution you should be above greed. The proceeding suit filed by him was a fraud on the court and seven years of its precious time has been lost. He has to pay Rs 1.5 lakh for it,” the court said.