Supreme Court scraps Kerala High Court order on Waqf Board's supervision

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday deleted a Kerala High Court direction placing the Kerala Waqf Board under the supervision of a joint secretary of the state government dealing with waqf matters. A three-member bench headed by CJI Surya Kant passed the order on an appeal filed by the Kerala Waqf Board challenging the HC's order.

"The further direction issued by the high court to the effect that, for the time being, the board shall function under the supervision of the joint secretary to the state government dealing with Waqf matters, is deleted. However, the joint secretary may continue to function as a member of the board, though not in that supervisory capacity," the bench ordered.

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The state counsel told the bench that the HC was scheduled to hear the matter on Wednesday. The bench proceeded to dispose of Waqf board's appeal while directing HC to decide the matter promptly. However, it deleted the part of HC's interim order that had placed the Waqf board under the supervision of state's joint secretary.

The Kerala government had moved the SC against HC order restraining the state Waqf board from taking any major decisions, incurring capital expenditure or making policy decisions.

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"Since the matter is already coming up for hearing before the HC, we request the HC to decide the matter expeditiously after affording all parties a fair opportunity to file their claims, counterclaims and to be heard. The appeal stands disposed of in the above terms," the bench ordered.