Himachal Pradesh high court allows Radha Soami chief’s helicopter to land at college ground for Rs 1L payment

SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh high court on Wednesday allowed Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) to use the playground of Lal Bahadur Shastri Govt Degree College, Saraswati Nagar, near Rohru in Shimla district for landing a helicopter during the visit of its patron-in-chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon on the same day, subject to payment of Rs 1 lakh as usage charges.

The order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi while hearing an application moved by RSSB seeking permission for temporary use of the college playground.

Allowing the application moved in an already pending public interest litigation (PIL), the bench directed RSSB to deposit Rs 1 lakh with the college principal during the day. The court observed that the patron-in-chief was travelling to several places, including Jammu and Kashmir, by helicopter and therefore the payment was appropriate as usage fee and costs.

The amount deposited will be used for the welfare and development of the educational institution. The RSSB informed the court that the visit was spiritual in nature and nearly 7,000 followers from Rohru and surrounding areas were expected to attend the gathering at the RSSB Centre in Rohru. It was also submitted that no alternative site was available for landing the helicopter.

The court took note of the no-objection certificate issued by the college principal, stating that the final examination concluded on May 12 and no academic or teaching activities were scheduled from May 13 onwards.

The high court, in an ongoing case, earlier directed the state govt to ensure that the campuses of educational institutions, be it schools or colleges, shall not be permitted to be used for activities that are alien to education.