JUDGMENT

K. Ramaswamy, J.-This bunch of writ petitions and transfer cases is at the behest of hereditary trustees of Hindu Religious and Charitable Institutions and Endowments challenging the constitutionality of Sections 15, 16, 17, 29(5) and 144 of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987 (Act 30 of 1987) (for short, "the Act").

2. The facts in writ petition No. 713/87 are sufficient for deciding the controversy. The first petitioner is a founder of several charitable and religious institutions in Hyderabad and Secunderabad of Andhra Pradesh. He is a hereditary trustee of a premier institution known as Raja Bahadur Sir Bansilal Motilal Charitable Trust founded by his father donating Rs. 5,00,000/- in 1933. It also established Sri Ranganath Mandir, Sri Jagannath Mandir, Sri Narsingh Mandir, Sri Lakshman Maharaj, Raja Bahadur Sir Bansilal Hospital Trust and Sri Sanskrit Sahitya Nidhi Trust in Hyderabad. Hari Prasad Badruka, the 3rd petitioner s family founded Shri Venkatesh Goraksha Trust with a sum of Rs. 1,00,000/- and donated 568 acres of land in Dabirpura and Konaipalle villages. They also claimed to have purchased 58.35 acres in Hak