E-Paper
Atala mosque case: Jaunpur court defers hearing till March 2
he petitioners had also prayed for the possession of the disputed property and sought a mandatory injunction to restrain non-Hindus from entering the property in question
The court of civil judge (junior division) in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district on Tuesday postponed the date of passing order for survey of the Atala Masjid till March 2, 2025 in view of the Supreme Court’s order to all courts refraining them from passing orders in cases related to religious places under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, said district government advocate Satish Chandra Pandey.
A suit was filed before the Jaunpur court on May 17, 2024 by the Swaraj Vahini Association and Santosh Kumar Mishra, a local resident, seeking a declaration that the disputed property was ‘Atala Devi Mandir’ and followers of the Sanatan religion be allowed the right of worship therein.
The petitioners had also prayed for the possession of the disputed property and sought a mandatory injunction to restrain non-Hindus from entering the property in question.
The court had initially set December 16 for hearing the matter. During the proceedings, the opposition’s advocate submitted a copy of the Supreme Court order (Writ C 1246/2020, Ashwini Upadhyay vs. Union of India), dated December 12.
The top court has directed that no proceedings related to existing cases should continue until further notice. The apex court also barred from issuing interim orders, including orders for surveys or other directives in such matters until further hearings.
Hindu parties have claimed that the 14th century Atala Masjid in Jaunpur was originally an ancient Atala Devi temple. The petition claims that during Firoz Shah Tughlaq’s invasion of Jaunpur, parts of the temple were demolished but due to strong opposition from Hindu devotees, the structure remained partially intact.
