Supreme Court Recalls Order Sending Petitions Challenging Hindu Religious Endowments Acts Of TN, AP & Telangana To High Courts

The Supreme Court recently recalled its April 2025 order which had directed petitioners challenging various Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments laws in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Puducherry to approach the respective High Courts.

A bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma allowed a review petition filed against the April 2025 order and restored the writ petitions to its file for adjudication on merits.

On April 1, 2025, the same bench had disposed of a batch of petitions challenging provisions of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959, the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987, the Telangana Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1987 and the Puducherry Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1972.

The petitioners had contended that the enactments enabled State interference in the management and administration of Hindu religious institutions and violated rights guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. Certain petitioners had also challenged the appointment of Executive Officers to major temples in Tamil Nadu.

In that order, the Supreme Court had observed that the statutory schemes differed across States and that the respective High Courts would be better placed to appreciate the challenges in light of the socio-economic, cultural, religious and historical dimensions of the issues involved. It had therefore granted liberty to the petitioners to approach the jurisdictional High Courts and had also observed that the High Courts could, if considered necessary, constitute expert committees to assist in deciding the matters.

Review petitions were filed against this order.

The review petitioners argued that the writ petitions had remained pending before the Supreme Court from 2012 until their disposal in 2025 and that the Court ought to have adjudicated the challenges itself instead of relegating the parties to the High Courts.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for the Union of India supported this submission. He contended that, given the commonality of the grounds raised and the provisions under challenge, the matters could be considered and decided by the Supreme Court itself rather than requiring fresh proceedings before different High Courts.

Taking note of these submissions, the bench recalled its April 1, 2025 order. The Court issued notice to the respondents in the restored writ petitions and listed the matters before the same bench on July 24, 2026 at 2 p.m.

Case no. – Review Petition (C) No. 230 of 2026

Case Title – Shri Dayanand Saraswati Swamiji (Dead) & Ors. v. State of Tamil Nadu & Ors.