The President of the Madhya Pradesh High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has issued an apology to Chief Justice Suresh Kait for falsely accusing him of removing a Hanuman temple from the compound of his official residence.
The High Court administration had recently dismissed these allegations as baseless and untrue.
In a letter dated January 25, Dhanya Kumar Jain, the HCBA president, apologized to Chief Justice Kait and assured that such behavior would not be repeated in the future.
“I realize that my letter, which made these allegations, caused confusion, and I deeply regret this. I express my sincere apologies to the Hon’ble Chief Justice and affirm my full respect for him. I assure you that I will not repeat such conduct going forward,” the letter stated.
Previously, the HCBA President had also called for an inquiry into the alleged removal of the temple from the Chief Justice’s official residence.
“I do not wish for any action on my earlier requests,” the latest letter clarified, referring to this demand.
The controversy began last year when a lawyer, Ravindra Nath Tripathi, sent letters to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, and the Union Law Minister, seeking action against Chief Justice Kait for allegedly removing a temple from the compound of his official bungalow.
The complaint stated, “It is important to note that it is not his personal property, and such actions should not have been taken.”
The complainant also pointed out that another lawyer, inspired by the Chief Justice’s actions, had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) calling for the removal of all temples from police stations across the state.
Following this, the HCBA joined the matter and wrote to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on December 22, requesting an inquiry and action against those responsible.
Shortly thereafter, the Madhya Pradesh High Court refuted the allegations. The Court’s Registrar General, Dharmindra Singh, issued a statement categorically denying the claims, noting that the Public Works Department (PWD) had confirmed that no temple had ever been present at the Chief Justice’s residence.
The Registrar General emphasized that the allegations circulating in certain media outlets were fabricated and seemed to be an intentional attempt to mislead the public and tarnish the reputation of the judiciary.