Overview
- Refusing to entertain the Article 32 petition, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and S.C. Sharma dismissed it as withdrawn and noted that the issues should be addressed in the appropriate fora.
- The Karnataka High Court separately allowed only 15 identified devotees to perform Mahashivratri puja inside the shrine between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm on Sunday, February 15, under tight security.
- The petition by the dargah management sought to restrain Shivratri rituals, block interim permissions, and prevent any construction or alteration affecting the site's religious character.
- The plea cited a 1976 waqf notification and a 2024 Karnataka Waqf Tribunal decree in its favor, even as that decree remains under challenge and related suits continue in lower courts.
- The site has long been used by both Muslims and Hindus around the samadhi of Raghava Chaitanya and a Shivling, and courts have issued festival‑specific, time‑bound orders in recent years to manage access and maintain public order.