HC stays notification on gurdwara elections

PTI

Jammu, May 20

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has stayed a notification issued by the divisional commissioner of Jammu early this month for elections to the Gurdwara Prabandhak Board across the division. Hearing a petition filed by Satinder Singh on Friday, Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal said the Sikh Gurdwaras and Religious Endowment Act and the rules framed thereunder provided that the board was a single constituent body and its members — 15 in all — can be elected by a single process both at Kashmir and Jammu divisions simultaneously and not otherwise.

“The divisional commissioner, Jammu, has issued the notification (on May 9) illegally by directing conduct of the elections in Jammu division only…Subject to objections and till next date of hearing before the bench, the operation of the impugned notification shall remain stayed,” the judge said, listing the case for next hearing on May 26.

Singh had earlier moved a petition challenging the process of conduct of the elections issued in terms of notification on January 28.