A view of Supreme Court of India. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Supreme Court on April 5 dismissed a plea seeking transportation of the mortal remains of Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Muhammad Abdul Muqtadir Shah Masood Ahmad from Bangladesh to India.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud said there is no constitutionally enforceable right to seek transportation of the Sufi saint’s mortal remains as he was a Pakistani citizen.

“He is a Pakistani citizen, how can you expect the Union of India to bring his burials in India?” the Bench asked. The counsel, appearing for petitioner Dargah Hazrat Mulla Syed, said the saint has no family in Pakistan, whereas, at the dargah in Uttar Pradesh, he was the Sajjada-nasheen (spiritual head).

The lawyer told the top court that the saint was born in Prayagraj, then called Allahabad, and migrated to Pakistan. He got Pakistani citizenship in 1992.

“He was elected as the Sajjada Nasheen of the shrine viz. Dargah Hazrat Mulla Syed Mohammad Shah in 2008 in Prayagraj. He executed his will in 2021 expressing a desire to be buried in the shrine. He died in Dhaka where he was buried. There are difficulties in entertaining such a petition.

“Hazrat Shah was a Pakistani citizen and has no constitutional right… the practical difficulties related to exhumation. As a matter of first principle, it would not be right for this court to direct the transportation of the mortal remains of a citizen of a foreign state in India,” the Bench, also comprising Justices J. B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.

New Delhi:

Yoga at 3:30 in the morning and a vegan diet – Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud today recommended a holistic lifestyle to tackle work-related stress that he and his colleagues face. 

Inaugurating an AYUSH holistic wellness centre at the Supreme Court today, the Chief Justice said the significance of such practices is not only good for judges and their families but also for the well-being of the entire Supreme Court staff.

“I practice yoga. I woke up at 3:30 this morning to do yoga. Additionally, I have been following a vegan diet for the last 5 months. I am trying to focus on a holistic pattern of life, which begins with what you eat, of course, and what you put into your system,” CJI Chandrachud said, as quoted by news agency ANI. 

The chief justice highlighted the stress faced by the Supreme Court staff, including the 34 judges who handle a substantial workload of files. Drawing from his personal experience, CJI Chandrachud shared, “I underwent Panchakarma about a year ago, and I am looking forward to doing it again now, as it is the turn of the season. However, we have over 2000 staff members in the Supreme Court, including our colleagues, all 34 judges who bear tremendous stress in their daily work, leading to a heavy workload of files.” 

“I believe it’s important to consider a holistic lifestyle, not just for the judges and their immediate families, but also for the staff members. Through them, we can propagate this message for the rest of the country,” he added.

Dedicated to the well-being of the legal community, the AYUSH holistic wellness centre aims to promote Ayurveda and holistic practices specifically for judges, their families, and staff of the Supreme Court.