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Issues:
1. Validity of notices issued by the Endowment Department under Andhra Pradesh Act 17 of 1966. 2. Constitutionality of Sections 15, 17, 27, 36, and 97 of the Andhra Act 17 of 1966. 3. Applicability of the Act to private institutions or religious denominations. 4. Determination of whether institutions or endowments are private or public in character. 5. Whether the Arya Vyasa community or Lingayat community and their institutions are religious denominations within the meaning of Article 26 of the Constitution. Analysis: 1. The appellants, registered under the Registration of Societies Act, challenged notices by the Endowment Department under Andhra Pradesh Act 17 of 1966. The High Court considered various constitutional provisions and the nature of the hereditary trusteeship as 'Property' under Article 19(1)(f). It held that the impugned provisions of the Act did not violate constitutional articles. However, the determination of whether the appellants are religious denominations under Article 26 was left for a competent civil court. 2. The High Court dismissed all writ petitions, leading to appeals in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, in an earlier judgment, had dismissed similar appeals and left questions regarding the religious denomination status open for further adjudication. In the current batch of appeals, the Court reiterated that such questions of fact should be resolved in a competent civil court, not through writ remedies. The Court declined to delve into the disputed questions and upheld the High Court's decision to leave the matter for determination in a proper forum. 3. The appellants contended that the High Court's observation questioning their religious denomination status could prejudice them in future proceedings. However, the Court clarified that these questions were not conclusively decided due to being disputed questions of fact. The High Court's stance to allow the appellants to establish their claim in a civil court was upheld, emphasizing that such matters should be resolved in a suitable forum. The Court reiterated the correctness of leaving certain issues open for determination in the appropriate legal setting. 4. The Supreme Court found no merit in the arguments presented and upheld the High Court's decision. It emphasized that the questions regarding the nature of institutions as religious denominations should be addressed in a proper forum, reinforcing the need for factual determinations in civil court proceedings. The judgment concluded by dismissing the appeals and ordering each party to bear their own costs, thereby affirming the decision of the High Court and maintaining the status quo regarding the unresolved issues.
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