From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with Delhi High Court’s order staying the Centre’s decision to suspend registration of certain 17 Haj group organisations and keep their Haj quota in abeyance in the light of serious complaints against them.
The matter was mentioned before a vacation bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice MM Sundresh by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, representing the central government.
The ASG submitted that if the pilgrims booked for delinquent HGOs, which have been found ineligible on various grounds, are allowed to go for Haj pilgrimage, they will face a lot of difficulties. The ASG further submitted that there was a proposal to accommodate the pilgrims registered with the 17 offending HGOs to be transferred to the other 492 HGOs, so that they face no troubles in their trip to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The bench, however, refused to entertain the plea, observing that the High Court is scheduled to hear the plea on July 7 and all the issues raised can be looked into by it.
The central government had cleared the names of 512 HGOs in May and later it came to the light that there were serious complaint against 17 HGOs, following which the central government suspended the registration of those HGOs and kept their Haj quota in abeyance.
The single bench of the High Court, while hearing over 13 such HGOs, stayed the central government decision and had directed it to ensure that the pilgrims who have booked for five-day Haj pilgrimage to Mecca and nearby holy places in Saudi Arabia, do not suffer because of the alleged default of tour operators and are able to undertake travel without any obstruction.
“To ensure that the pilgrims are not obstructed from completing their journey and undertake Haj, the comments in the consolidated list of allocation of Haj Quota for HAJ-2023 issued on May 25, 2023 by the respondent (Centre) which reads as ‘Registration Certificate & Quota Kept in abeyance till finalisation of proceedings in complaint related matter’ is stayed,” the single bench of the High Court had said.
The single bench of the High Court had also made it clear that the central government can continue its investigation against those delinquent
