Dehradun, Feb. 20 -- The Uttarakhand high court has taken suo motu cognisance of the alleged mismanagement at the Kainchi Dham temple, registering a public interest litigation (PIL) in the matter. The action was prompted by a letter petition submitted by one Thakur Singh Dasila, which highlighted several issues regarding the temple's governance. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and justice Subhash Upadhyay heard the matter on Wednesday. During the proceedings, the Chief Standing Counsel for the state, CS Rawat, presented instructions received from the district magistrate of Nainital in the matter. The court order stated that a communication from the Secretary and Member Trustee of the Shri Kainchi Hanuman Mandir and Ashram, which categorically denied the allegations made in the letter petition, labelling them as false. In the interest of a fair hearing, the bench permitted the impleadment of the Shri Kainchi Hanuman Mandir Trust as respondent in the matter Located in the Bhowali area of Nainital district, the ashram was founded by the revered Hindu mystic Neem Karoli Baba, popularly known as Maharaj-ji, on June 15, 1964, along the banks of the Shipra River. The spiritual legacy of Baba, a devoted follower of Lord Hanuman, continues to draw lakhs of devotees annually. Recognising the significance of the temple and the gravity of the concerns raised, the court issued a formal notice to the original applicant, Thakur Singh Dasila, appointed advocate Dharmendra Barthwal as amicus curiae in the matter to assist the court. The high court has also directed to obtain necessary instructions from the Nainital DM to facilitate the judicial process. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on March 18, 2026....