Unresolved internal trust disputes do not necessitate police protection without demonstrable threats; law maintenance during meetings is required.

JUDGMENT

Petitioner seeks for a direction to provide immediate and effective police protection to the petitioner and other office bearers of the Anakudy Nedumparambu Sree Bhagavathy Kshethra Trust, for conducting official meetings and the daily affairs of the trust without any obstruction from respondents 4 to 9.

2. Petitioner alleges that respondents 4 and 5 were former committee members of the Trust. However, both of them were terminated by the temple Trust on 03.11.2025 and 04.11.2025 respectively, as per Ext.P6 and Ext.P7. Despite the said termination, respondents 4 and 5, along with others, have been obstructing the conduct of the official meetings of the Trust and interfering with the daily affairs of the temple, compelling the petitioner’s to approach this Court, since the Police failed to act pursuant to their request.

3. A counter affidavit has been filed by the 4th respondent, alleging that, challenging the termination of respondents 4 and 5, they have preferred O.S.No.1003/2025 before the Munsiff Court, Nedumangadu, which is pending consideration and therefore, the said termination as alleged by the petitioner has not become final.

4. It was further submitted that petitioner, along with other persons, had, in fact, assaulted the 4^th respondent, for which a crime has been registered as Crime No.1520/2025 of Venjaramoodu Police Station. It was also submitted that, it is actually not the petitioner, but respondents 4 and 5 who are under severe threat and apprehending assault that too from the petitioner. According to respondents 4 and 5, granting police protection to the petitioner would provide the petitioner with a weapon to threaten, abuse and harm respondents 4 and 5 and therefore, the writ petition ought to be dismissed.

5. I have heard Smt.Rajitha V.K., the learned counsel for the petitioner, as well as Sri.M.Dinesh, the learned counsel for respondents 4 and 5 and Sri.Sebastian Joseph, the learned Government Pleader.

6. Concededly respondents 4 and 5 have been terminated from the membership of the temple Trust. The termination is, no doubt, a matter of dispute in O.S.No.1003/2025 of Munsiff court, Nedumangadu. However, no interim orders have been obtained from the civil court in the said suit. The learned counsel for the respondents 4 and 5, has, in fact, submitted that they pose no threat, harm or interference with the conduct of any meetings.

7. Taking into consideration the above circumstances, I am of the view that, since respondents 4 and 5 have submitted that they have no intention to cause any threat or harm to the petitioner, no specific direction to provide police protection is essential. However, since there is an apprehension of a law and order situation arising during the conduct of the official meetings of Anakudy Nedumparambu Sree Bhagavathy Kshethra Trust, I am of the view that the third respondent must be directed to ensure that law and order situation is maintained during the conduct of the meetings as well as to enable the petitioner’s to carry on the daily affairs of the temple without any obstruction from any person.

Accordingly, there will be a direction to the third respondent to ensure that the law and order situation is maintained during the conduct of official meetings, and also to enable the smooth conduct of the regular affairs of the temple, without any obstruction from any person.

The writ petition is disposed of.

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