Nagpur: The Court of Wards, under the jurisdiction of the collector, on Friday took over the donation boxes and management of two famous city shrines — Chhota Tajbag dargah of Hazrat Tajuddin Baba, and Laxminarayan temple near Sakkardara lake. The action was taken as per interim orders of the district and sessions judge.
Confirming it, deputy collector Subhash Chaudhary told TOI Court of Wards will periodically collect money in the donation boxes at both shrines and use it for their management. “Shirke family was looking after Chhota Tajbagh, and one lady was at Laxminarayan Temple,” he said.
The two shrines are heritage structures as per the state government’s notification. Chaudhary added a team from Court of Wards, led by manager Jeevan Bansode, sealed four donation boxes at Chhota Tajbag and three at the temple. “Rs 34,000 was recovered from Chhota Tajbagh. Donation boxes at Laxminarayan Temple were not opened as the lady in charge was not present. We sealed the boxes, and will open them in her presence,” he said.
“These two properties are in the possession of Court of Wards since 1961. But the management of the two shrines was under private persons,” he said.
Rani Annapurna Devi of the Bhonsle family had filed a final decree against Court of Wards in the district and sessions court in 1961. Since then, the case is pending.
Advocate Pradeep Deshmukh representing Senior Bhonsle family said the Court of Wards delayed the action by two months. “Court passed order on June 16. In the meantime, some donation boxes are missing from Chhota Tajbag. So, devotees registered a complaint at Sakkardara police station on July 28,” he said.
Deshmukh added, “The property of the two shrines belongs to Senior Bhonsle, and is in possession of Court of Wards. The court’s final order in the case is pending.”
In an intervention application filed on June 14, Raghuji and Mudhoji Bhonsle had asked the court to direct the Court of Wards to take over the two shrines to manage their affairs.
The court order earlier also noted, “The Court of Wards is in superintendence of the entire estate. The first claim over the entire property is the claim of the government to recover taxes. The persons claimants under the will can get share only on partition. Learned advocate was asked to give undertaking to not take money from donation box.
He refused. This court should protect the money, hence the orders.”
