Karnataka HC reserves judgement on Mangaluru's Malali mosque dispute

The Karnataka high court reserved its judgement for pronunciation on a suit seeking a survey of the Malali mosque on the outskirts of Mangaluru after a Hindu temple-like architectural design was discovered underneath it.

The Karnataka high court on Friday reserved judgement on a suit pending before a Mangaluru court, which had sought a survey of the Malali mosque on the outskirts of the city after a Hindu temple-like architectural design was discovered underneath it during April renovation works, PTI reported.

A Hindu temple-like architectural design was discovered underneath an old mosque near Mangaluru in April. (ANI image)

The III Additional Civil Court in Mangaluru is hearing the case on the Assayed Abdullahi Madani mosque in Malali in the Thenka Ulipady village near Mangaluru. The case was filed by individuals TA Dhananjaya and BA Manoj Kumar who sought an inspection of the mosque to ascertain if the parts uncovered during renovation belonged to a temple, PTI said.

The court was hearing arguments whether such a suit was maintainable. According to reports the petitioners approached the high court demanding that the lower court should appoint a commissioner to conduct the survey.

The Karnataka high court directed the civil court not to pronounce its verdict on maintainability of the suit. The single-judge bench of Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum had issued notice to mosque authorities and adjourned the hearing to June 17. The court has now heard both sides' arguments and on Thursday reserved its judgement.

Coastal districts of Karnataka, like Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and in particular, Mangaluru, are known to be more sensitive in the face of religious and communal conflicts over the years. These districts witnessed over 120 communal incidents in 2021, the highest in the last four years, data compiled by Suresh Bhat, a member of Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum and People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Mangaluru, indicated.

(With PTI Inputs)