Saying that "materialistic pursuits increasingly replace divine pursuits", the Supreme Court Thursday came down hard on religious heads squabbling to take control of religious institutions.

A three-judge bench comprising judges Ruma Pal, Arijit Pasayat and C.K. Thakker said such tussles were a "sad reflection on the credibility of the religious institutions".

The bench made the observation while referring to the Gujarat High Court for fresh adjudication a dispute over removal of an acharya of the Swaminarayan Sampradya by the Satsangha Maha Sabha.

Intimately linked with this core issue was the legality of the action to install another acharya.

The apex court said: "When litigants come before courts raising disputes as to who shall function as Head of a religious or financial institution, and they travel through the corridors of various courts and come before the Supreme Court, one wonders when do these persons get time to think of purely sublime essence of religion and their duties as religious leaders. The present case at hand is no exception."

The bench remitted the issue back to the Gujarat High Court.