Upholding the findings of a single judge against Mahant Surender Nath, a division bench headed by Justice A K Sikri dismissed his appeal challenging an earlier Single Judge order and imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on him, as well as co-accused Satish Kumar. “The registration of an FIR by the EOW is perfectly justified, as ingredients for proceedings under the provisions of law have been satisfied, prima facie,” the bench observed in a judgement.

Pursuing an earlier order by the High Court, the EOW had registered an FIR against the mahant and four of his relatives, to whom he sold the land illegally, and the investigation is underway. The land, which was earlier with the temple, was transferred to the DDA by the Centre in 1983 but the mahant sold it illegally to his relatives in 1999.