Supreme Court Rejects Bihar's Takeover of Historic Sinha Library

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has overturned a Bihar law that permitted the government to take control of the historic Sinha Library, deeming the provision for token compensation of Rs 1 as "illusory" and lacking fairness. This verdict overturns a prior Patna High Court decision supporting the takeover.

The bench, consisting of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, ruled the 2015 Act unconstitutional, directing the library's management to be returned to its trust. The court criticized the absence of dialogue or allegations of mismanagement against the trust, underscoring the legislation's arbitrary nature.

Highlighting its confiscatory impact, the court stated that the law diverged from constitutional principles by being arbitrary and excessive. Established nearly a century ago, the institution's governance will revert to the Srimati Radhika Sinha Institute and Sachchidananda Sinha Library Trust following the court's directive.