Supreme Court asks Centre to expeditiously fill vacancies in Central Hajj Committee

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Synopsis

On the last date of hearing, the CJI led bench had directed the Union Government to take all necessary steps to pursue the completion of the composition of the Central Haj Committee in accordance with law.

Supreme Court of India has directed the Union of India to take expeditious steps for formation of the Central Hajj Committee.

A CJI DY Chandrachud led bench has directed that an affidavit be filed on the status of the process.

"Affidavit to be filed. We will keep it sometime in April", the bench also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has ordered.

Yesterday, top court was informed by ASG KM Nataraj that the process was underway.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed in October last year by a former member of the Central Haj Committee, Hafiz Naushad Ahmad Azmi. Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde appeared for the petitioner.

On November 24, 2023, a grievance of the Central Haj Committee not being constituted was placed before the ASG, who was asked to take instructions.

It is to be noted that way back in 2021, the petitioner had filed a Public Interest Litigation seeking direction to the government to constitute Central Haj Committee under section 3 read with 4 and State Haj Committees in every state under section 17 read with 18 of the Haj Committee Act.

The plea had further stated that as per the response on RTI filed by the petitioner there are no active State Haj Committee in any State except Tamil Nadu seeking details of the State Haj Committees.

As a result, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Abdul Nazeer and JK Maheshwari had accordingly directed the States to file affidavits apprising it of the status of constitution of Haj committees in two weeks.

Case Title: HAFIZ NAUSHAD AHMAD AZMI vs. KATIKITHALA SRINIVAS, SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS