HC dismisses SGPC trust plea; HSGMC stakes claim to Miri Piri institute

Kurukshetra: In a significant development in the dispute over control of the Miri Piri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (MPIMSR) at Shahabad-Markanda, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by the SGPC-backed Miri Piri Institute Charitable Trust, paving the way for the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) to assert control over the institute. Justice Jagmohan Bansal held that the trust's movable and immovable assets fell within the definition of "Gurdwara property" under the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Act, 2014, and observed that the trust functioned under the "wide and pervasive control" of the SGPC. The court said the trust had been constituted by the SGPC to comply with statutory requirements and Supreme Court directions for establishing and operating the medical college and hospital, and was never intended to function as an independent legal entity separate from the SGPC. The bench also pointed out procedural deficiencies in the petition, noting that it had been filed through the trust's chief executive officer without any resolution passed by the trustees authorising legal action. Interpreting Section 2(f) of the HSGM Act, 2014, defining "Gurdwara Property", the court held that the trust satisfied all legal requirements under the provision since the properties were held by an institution and vested in the name of the trust before July 18, 2014. The court further observed that under the trust deed, if the trust ceased to function, all its properties would revert to Sri Harmandir Sahib. Concluding that the assets of the trust were effectively properties of the SGPC, the court held the petition to be devoid of merit and dismissed it. The dispute arose after the HSGMC, following the 2022 Supreme Court verdict on Haryana gurdwaras, sought transfer of the institute's management and constituted a medical board in Sept 2024. The trust challenged the move, contending that its assets did not fall under the definition of gurdwara property. Following the verdict, HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda reached the institute campus along with committee members and supporters, terming the judgment a "major development" for Haryana Sikhs. He said the HSGMC would now take responsibility for running the institution and meeting its monthly operational deficit of around Rs 1.85 crore. sEnds