The Gujarat High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Devrajbhai Patel, which alleged that the Manav Sadhna Trust was operating illegally within the premises of the Gandhi Ashram in Sabarmati. The petitioner contended that the trust, established by a trustee of the Sabarmati Harijan Ashram Trust (SHAT), was conducting activities from the Ashram premises without proper authorization, thereby diverting donations intended for SHAT.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi, observed that the petitioner failed to provide substantive evidence to support the claims. The court noted that the allegations were based on apprehensions without concrete proof, and that none of the alleged beneficiaries of the purported illegal activities were impleaded in the petition. The bench emphasized that without specific instances or affected parties being named, the court could not conduct a roving inquiry into the matter.
Furthermore, the court highlighted that the appropriate forum to address such grievances would be the Charity Commissioner, as the issues pertained to the functioning and registration of trusts under the Bombay Public Trusts Act. The bench stated that the writ petition was misconceived and dismissed it accordingly.
This ruling underscores the judiciary's stance on ensuring that PILs are grounded in substantial evidence and are not based merely on speculative assertions. It also reiterates the importance of approaching the correct legal forums for specific grievances related to trust operations and management.
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