Madhya Pradesh HC Stays Construction of Temples In Police Station Premises

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday stayed the construction of temples inside premises of various police stations across the state and served a notice to the government, said a lawyer representing the petitioner in the case.

A division bench of Chief Justice SK Kait and Justice Vivek Jain also served notices to the Director General of Police (DGP) and others on a petition challenging the construction of temples inside premises of police station across Madhya Pradesh, he said.

A detailed court order was awaited.

Om Prakash Yadav, a retired government employee who is also a lawyer, has filed the plea challenging the construction of temples inside premises of police stations, his counsel Satish Verma told reporters.

The open space where these temples are being constructed is a public place, the counsel argued.

Verma said the petition has cited a recent Supreme Court order restraining construction of religious structures in public places. Thus, the ongoing construction of temples inside premises of police station in Madhya Pradesh violates the SC order.

Temples have already come up in some police stations in clear violation of constitutional provisions, the petitioner's counsel maintained.

The petitioner, along with his plea, has annexed photographs of what he said were temples constructed inside certain police stations, Verma said. 

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