Supreme Court Defers Hearing in Banke Bihari Temple Dispute, Grants Time for Response to Committee Report

April 13, 2026 : The Supreme Court of India has adjourned proceedings in the ongoing dispute concerning the Banke Bihari Temple, granting additional time to parties to respond to recent developments.

The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Augustine George Masih. Separately, a Bench led by the Chief Justice of India dealt with procedural aspects and allowed time for filing responses.

During the hearing, the Court noted that a status report submitted by a court-appointed high-powered committee had been served on the petitioners only the previous night. In view of this, the Bench granted two weeks’ time to enable the petitioners to examine the report and file their response, stressing the importance of ensuring a fair opportunity to address the material on record.

The Court also issued notice in a Miscellaneous Application seeking modifications and clarifications on certain factual aspects of the case. This indicates that the Bench is engaging not only with broader issues relating to governance but also with specific factual concerns raised by the parties.

The dispute revolves around the administration and management of the temple, particularly the role and authority of the high-powered committee overseeing its functioning. Petitioners have expressed apprehension that some of the measures introduced may affect long-standing religious practices and traditional systems of management.

The Supreme Court has previously intervened in the temple’s functioning to address concerns related to crowd management, safety, and infrastructure, given the large number of devotees visiting the shrine. These interventions, however, have also led to legal challenges questioning the extent of judicial oversight in religious affairs.

At this stage, the Court refrained from examining the merits of the dispute and adjourned the matter to allow completion of pleadings and consideration of the newly filed material. The case will be taken up after the petitioners submit their response and the issues raised in the Miscellaneous Application are addressed.