Meghalaya: HYC Demands CBI Halt Alleged Temple Construction in Shillong Office

Shillong: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has approached the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with a formal request to clarify and immediately stop any reported religious structure, believed to be a temple, being built within the agency's office compound at Mawdiangdiang in Meghalaya's New Shillong Township.

In an emailed letter to the CBI's Shillong branch head, HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem called for an internal probe into the claims of such construction. He demanded a pause on all related activities until the verification is complete, to avoid permanent changes or breaches of state regulations.

Synrem emphasised that if the work began without proper authorisation, the CBI must enforce the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, along with other applicable rules, to dismantle the structure and return the site to its original non-religious condition.

The group has requested a detailed written response from the CBI within two weeks, covering the project's current progress, any permissions secured, and steps taken to comply with constitutional and legal standards.

Synrem clarified that the petition targets no specific religion but seeks to protect the secular principles of public institutions. He stressed that the CBI, as an impartial investigative authority, is obligated to embody constitutional values and equal treatment under the law.

"We have full confidence in your office's integrity and accountability," the letter noted, while pushing for lawful corrective measures aligned with constitutional governance and public oversight.

The HYC president argued that the alleged temple raises critical concerns about constitutional appropriateness, legal adherence, and administrative impartiality.

He referenced the Meghalaya Building Bye-Laws, 2021, which require approval from relevant authorities for any building, modification, or land-use change. Institutional properties, he added, are limited to secular administrative or educational purposes only.

Additionally, the petition highlighted the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, which classifies government land and buildings as public property and bans unauthorised structures or occupancy.

Invoking key constitutional doctrines, the HYC noted that secularism forms part of the Constitution's basic structure, as affirmed in Supreme Court decisions like S.R. Bommai vs Union of India and Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala. These judgments require the state to remain strictly neutral on religious matters.

The group also cited High Court precedents, including cases from Kerala (Soman vs State of Kerala) and Madhya Pradesh (State of MP vs Laxman Prasad Sharma), which ordered the removal of illegal religious edifices from public land, ruling that they disrupt governmental secularism.

Drawing from reports such as one by Sabrang India on judicial trends, the HYC contended that religious buildings in public offices infringe Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution.

Ultimately, the organisation warned that the CBI's reputation for neutrality could suffer if the site is linked to any faith, eroding public confidence in the agency.

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