Jabalpur, Mar 27: Madhya Pradesh High court has directed the formation of a new trust to conduct the affairs of the Khermai temple, holding the existing one as “unconstitutional”. Justice A K Mishra, sitting as a single judge, in an order yesterday directed that the state registrar of public trust constitute another trust which should include the collector and mayor or his representative. Mishra said the new committee should also take into confidence the previous committee which was looking after the temple. Mishra was responding to a petition by Vijay Panda, the temple's priest, who stated that the trust was dominated by officials, who comprised 8 of its 12 members.

Panda had also challenged the formation of the trust saying it had been constituted on the sole initiative of the Gorakhpur city superintendent of police.

It may be recalled that there had been a dispute between the priest and some committee members which had led to disturbances some time ago.

Bureau Report