The Delhi High Court (HC) was informed by the Centre on Thursday that it has no plans to install CCTV cameras inside the sanctum sanctorum of the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.
The Centre said CCTV cameras will be restricted to public approach areas and passages leading up to the sanctum and that cameras are being installed to prevent instances of pickpocketing, harassment and theft.
Justice Sachin Datta noted the submissions of the Centre’s counsel on the aspect of cameras and directed the Government to expedite the process of appointment of the members of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah Committee.
“Let the process be expedited and members be appointed as expeditiously as possible, preferably within 3 months,” the court said.
The court passed the order while disposing of a plea by Syed Meharaj Miya, a khadim of the dargah, challenging the decision of the Centre-appointed Nazim to install cameras within the sanctum.
The dargah committee is tasked with managing the affairs of the 13-century shrine but has been lying defunct since 2022. In the absence of the committee, decisions related to the dargah are taken by the central Government-appointed Nazim and assistant Nazim.
As the Centre’s counsel clarified that the move followed a security audit and cameras were not being installed inside the sanctum, the petitioner’s counsel said there was no objection to cameras being placed in public approach areas, leading the court to dispose of the plea.
Khadims are hereditary custodians of the Ajmer Sharif dargah and are responsible for its management, rituals and upkeep of the Sufi shrine.
Besides the aspect of cameras, the petitioner also sought the court’s direction to the Centre to appoint the dargah management committee. He claimed that there were several alleged financial irregularities in the functioning of the office bearers at the dargah at present and said that it was damaging the religious site’s image.
“The said anomalies in the finances of the dargah committee are extremely alarming and would be adversely affecting the trust and confidence of devotees/ pilgrims of Sufi Saint Khawaja Sahib from across the world irrespective of faith, religion, caste, creed, ethnicity, colour or race who generously donate and deposit monetary fund’s either online or during their regular visit to the Dargah Ajmer Sharif,” the plea said.
