HC dismisses contempt petition over Kashi Vishwanath Corridor

The Allahabad High Court on Friday dismissed a contempt petition filed over the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project, meant to develop the area between the Ganga and Varanasi’s main temple.

The petition against the project’s chief executive officer had alleged that construction around the Kashi Vishwanath temple is being carried out in violation of a court order in 2012.

In its interim order in July 2012, a division bench had asked the Varanasi Development Authority to ensure against any construction activity within 200 metres from the highest flood level at the Ganga riverbank in Varanasi.

The corridor project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year in his Lok Sabha constituency.

Rejecting the contempt petition, Justice S P Kesarwani said there was no conflict between the 2012 order and the law enacted in 2018 to create a “Special Development Area” around the temple.

The judge imposed Rs 5,000 as costs to be paid by each of the three petitioners.

The court said the application was filed with the motive to impede the development work being carried by the Varanasi board under the 2018 Act for “a pious cause and for protection of environment and cleanliness of river Ganga”.

The work was being carried out with necessary permissions and the consent of an expert committee, the court said.

The applicants willfully tried to mislead the court and failed to establish which construction was contrary to its 2012 order, the judge said.