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Surat court to decide church
land dispute by Jan 31: PTI

The church, caught in a dispute after reconversion of a tribal Christian to Hinduism, came into the limelight following a protest by a Tamil Nadu bishop.

Disposing of a civil revision application filed against the ad interim ex parte order of a civil judge of Vyara taluka in Surat district in the church land case, the high court has directed the subordinate court, where the petition is pending, to decide the issue, including the injunction application, not later than January 31.

Puniyabhai U. Kotewadia, a tribal Christian, after reconverting to Hinduism, had filed a civil suit before the civil judge (junior division) stating that the land where the disputed church was built was private land belonging to him, and was granted an ad interim order.

The civil judge issued notices against defendant Amarsinhbhai Narsinhbhai Chaudhari and others, who filed an injunction application before the court and also a civil revision application in the Gujarat High Court.

Justice P B Majumdar said, ''In the facts and circumstances of the case, without entertaining this revision application on merits, I direct the civil judge, Vyara to decide the injunction application as well as the application given by the defendants at exhibit 22 immediately and in any case, not later than January 31, 2001.''

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