Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea against puja at Ladle Mashak Dargah on Mahashivaratri

The Supreme Court on Thursday (February 12, 2026) refused to entertain a plea seeking to restrain the holding of puja within the premises of the Ladle Mashak Dargah and the samadhi of Hindu Saint Raghava Chaitanya in Karnataka’s Aland during Mahashivaratri.

The shrine, associated with a 14th-century Sufi saint and the 15th-century Hindu saint, has historically been a shared place of worship. However, tensions flared in 2022 when disputes arose over religious rights at the dargah, leading to communal unrest.

A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma said Article 32 of the Constitution cannot be invoked by the petitioner when the issue is pending in the Karnataka High Court.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by one Khaleel Ansari seeking to restrain interference with the property and prevent any “unlawful entry, mobilisation, congregation by the private respondents in the property as well as restrain any interim orders permitting entry and puja”.

Senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the high court has already decided the matter.

The top court said the petitioner was seeking a declaration that the property was a duly notified waqf property, which has to be decided by the Waqf Tribunal.

Makhija submitted that the issue involves various issues related to the Places of Worship Act and urged the bench that it may be tagged with similar matters.

The bench, however, refused to intervene, and the case was dismissed as withdrawn.

In February 2025, the Karnataka High Court had permitted 15 Hindu devotees to perform Shivaratri rituals at the Raghava Chaitanya Shivaling.