The Allahabad High Court will resume hearing on Friday a petition challenging maintainability of a suit seeking removal of Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura. The suit in question claims that the mosque is built on 13.37 acre land that belongs to Katra Keshav Deo temple.
A bench of Justice Mayank Kumar Jain heard the counsels from both sides and fixed February 23 as the next date of hearing.
On January 30, the high court had ordered that the objections to the suit be filed before February 22.
In May 2023, the high court had transferred to itself a clutch of 17 petitions filed in connection with the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute.
The court heard the counsel appearing for the mosque committee for more than two hours. The Muslim side has contended that the petitions by the Hindu side are not maintainable.
Most petitioners from the Hindu side have claimed that the land belonged to the Hindus and the land on which the Shahi Idgah mosque stands is sacred to Hindus. They also claim that the land holds signs suggesting that it was a Hindu temple once.
In December 2023, the high court had permitted a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah complex and agreed to the appointment of an advocate commissioner to oversee the survey of the mosque premises. Following this, the mosque management committee challenged the high court's survey order in the apex court.
After hearing the mosque management committee's plea, the Supreme Court stayed the survey of the mosque, however it made it clear that proceedings before the high court in the dispute will continue.
--With inputs from Mohd Moin