Amidst the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Masjid dispute in Mathura, the Supreme Court declined to halt the Allahabad High Court’s authorization for a scientific survey of the Shahi Idgah complex on the disputed land. The contentious matter, centered around claims by Hindu groups asserting the mosque was erected on Lord Krishna’s birthplace, has sparked fervent demands for an extensive survey, acknowledged by a local court last year.
Representing the Hindu side, lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain confirmed the Supreme Court’s refusal to stay proceedings. The court has scheduled the challenge to the transfer order for January 9, allowing the High Court’s directive to proceed unhindered without a stay order from the apex court.
In a landmark development, the Allahabad High Court sanctioned the appointment of an advocate commissioner and granted preliminary consent for surveying the Shahi Idgah complex. Further deliberations on the modus operandi of the advocates’ commission for the survey are set for December 18.
The legal saga emerged from a suit filed by Ranjana Agnihotri from Lucknow, seeking ownership rights over 13.37 acres of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi land. Agnihotri’s petition demands the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque, alleged to have been constructed during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1669-70, situated within the premises of the Katra Keshav Dev temple near Lord Krishna’s birthplace.
The Muslim side has cited the Places of Worship Act of 1991, emphasizing the preservation of the religious status of places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947, aiming to dismiss the petition. The dispute has led to 18 cases related to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Masjid conflict in the High Court, following the consolidation of all pending suits from the local court in Mathura.
The judicial discourse, with its significant implications for religious sentiment and property rights, continues to unfold in Mathura’s legal corridors. The refusal of a stay order by the Supreme Court allows the High Court’s decision to progress, setting the stage for consequential developments in this long-standing dispute.
Sources By Agencies