The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition seeking “compulsory registration” for pilgrims proposing to visit the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and K.V. Viswanathan asked the petitioner, K.K. Ramesh, to approach the Kerala High Court.
The petition said the registration should be like that done in the Amarnath Shrine Board.
The petitioner said a master plan should be framed to regulate the crowd visiting the temple.
“Do some research before you file such PILs… Look at how they manage the crowd in Tirupathi, Vaishno Devi… Visit the gurudwaras and see how beautifully they manage and regulate the visitors at the Golden Temple,” Justice Kant told the petitioner’s counsel.
Justice Viswanathan said the High Court in Kerala had a Devaswom Bench.
“The judges in the High Court would know the circumstances, geographical specificities, what kind of people visit there, whether giving advance permissions would outrage religious feelings of the devotees…” Justice Kant told the lawyer.
The counsel said that the case would “ultimately” come to the Supreme Court though.
“Are you so confident that your petition will be dismissed,” Justice Kant asked.
“You cannot play the second innings first,” Justice Viswanathan pointed to the appellate system of justice administration.
