Wakf Board to run Nagore Dargah

Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the two-member committee appointed by the Court years ago to look after the affairs of the famous Nagore Dargah in Nagapattinam district to hand over its management back to the trustees of the Wakf Board, within a week.

This follows a submission from the counsel for the adhoccommittee that the members no longer want to manage the affairs of the Dargah. Originally, by an order dated February 23 this year, the first bench of Chief Justice M N Bhandari and D Bharatha Chakravarthy had pulled up the adhoc board of administrators of the Dargah, consisting of a retired IAS officer and a district judge, who were appointed by the High Court in 2017 to look after the affairs of the Dargah just for four months, but who had continued beyond the time limit.

The bench also slammed them for wasting the funds of the Dargah by moving the court belatedly in a case relating to a festival, which had become infructuous. It had called for a statement of accounts. Pleading to remove the adverse remarks against them, the duo had moved the High Court. When the matter came up on Thursday, the counsel representing the ad hoccommittee told the bench that they no longer want to continue and therefore, the management of the Dargah might be given back to the Wakf Board.

The Board shall give the management of the Dargah to the Trustees as per the 1946 scheme decree. Insofar as the other issues -- removal of the adverse remarks made by the judges, the same would be decided on the next date of hearing on June 15, the bench said.