Temple trustees stay plea dismissed

HYDERABAD: The High Court on Wednesday refused to vacate a stay on the appointment of a temple trustee of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Vari Devasthanam at Dwaraka Tirumala in West Godavari district as a criminal case was pending against him. Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao ruled that if a person has been arraigned as an accused in a criminal case, he does not bear good conduct until he is acquitted.The judge was hearing a petition filed by one Kurakula Veera Venkata Satyanarayana who was appointed as a trustee of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Vari Devasthanam at Dwaraka Tirumala. The appointment had earlier been stayed by the court on a plea by one Satyavarapu Nageswara Rao challenging the appointment.The challenger brought to the notice of the court a criminal case pending against Satyanarayana for involvement in an alleged attack and abuse of a woman pilgrim. Judge Ramamohana Rao, interpreting clause (b) of Section 18 of the AP Charitable and Hindu Religious, Institutions and Endowments Appointment of Trustee Rules Act, 1987 which lists the qualifications for one to be a temple trustee, dismissed Satyanarayana’s petition. He said the court had noticed that the appointee had not contributed to the development of a charitable institution as required under clause (c) of Section 18 of the Act.