The court accepted the government's contention that PIL was 'publicity litigation' intended to drag the Shree Somnath Trust into an unwarranted controversy. (File Photo)The Gujarat High Court on Friday dismissed a review petition concerning a judgment that rejected a PIL claiming archaeological excavations beneath the Somnath Temple. The court held that the application sought to go beyond the pleadings in the original petition and reiterated that a review cannot reopen a concluded hearing.A bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D N Ray rejected the plea filed by Maharashtra resident Dr Vilas Tukaram Kharat seeking reconsideration of the bench’s June 25 judgment, which also imposed a cost of Rs 2 lakh on him.“We do not appreciate this submission of the learned counsel for the review applicant. Moreover, all the averments in the review application are fresh additions to the averments made in the writ petition, which cannot be permitted to be agitated at the stage of review. It is settled law that re-hearing within the scope of review is impermissible. The present review application is accordingly dismissed,” the bench said in its order, made public on Saturday.Also Read | The strange saga of Somnath temple’s ‘lost’ gates a British official ‘returned’The court also declined a request for adjournment made on the ground that a senior counsel engaged by the petitioner was unavailable due to illness. Noting that advocate Ratna Vora, who argued the original PIL, was present in court but declined to argue the review petition, the bench proceeded to dismiss the application.However, at Kharat’s request, the court granted four more weeks to deposit the Rs 2 lakh cost. The court made clear that if the amount is not deposited within the extended period, it would be recovered as arrears of land revenue.On June 25, the court dismissed Kharat’s PIL seeking disclosure of an alleged archaeological survey conducted beneath the Somnath Temple by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and IIT Gandhinagar.‘Publicity litigation to malign Shree Somnath Trust’The bench then held that the PIL was founded entirely on unverified newspaper reports and social media posts and accepted the state government’s contention that it was “publicity litigation” intended to drag the Shree Somnath Trust into an unwarranted controversy.Story continues below this adThe bench also noted that Kharat had not first approached the competent authorities for the information he sought and had failed to substantiate his claimed association with an NGO called Sanatan Dhamm.Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More