HC adjourns hearing on Eidgah survey commission till January 11

Last Thursday, the court had agreed to the appointment of an advocate-commissioner to oversee the survey of the mosque, which the petitioners claim holds signs of being a Hindu temple once.

The Allahabad High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing in the Mathura Krishna Janmabhoomi case till January 11. On that day, the court will hear the parties concerned on the issue of modalities and composition of the commission that will survey the Shahi Eidgah premises adjoining the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple.

A view of the Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex and Shahi Eidgah Mosque, in Mathura on Saturday. (FIle)

Justice Mayank Kumar Jain passed the order in a suit filed by Bhagwan Shrikrishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev and 7 others.

Last Thursday, the court had agreed to the appointment of an advocate-commissioner to oversee the survey of the mosque, which the petitioners claim holds signs of being a Hindu temple once. Justice Jain had allowed the application for the commission’s survey and fixed December 18 as the date for composition of the commission.

However, on Monday, the counsel of UP Sunni Central Waqf Board informed the court that it had filed a SLP (special leave petition) before the apex court challenging the order allowing the survey. As the Supreme Court was closed due to winter vacation, a request was made to adjourn the hearing till January 9, when another petition, challenging the transfer of suits on the Janmabhoomi matter, is likely to be listed before it.

The court, after hearing the parties, adjourned the hearing in the case and observed: “In view of the order passed by the Hon’ble Apex Court and taken into consideration the argument advanced by the learned counsel for the parties, let the matter be fixed on 11.01.2024 for hearing.”

In a bunch of suits pending in the high court, the plaintiffs have mainly sought a declaration that the land in dispute i.e. the area where Shahi Eidgah Mosque is situated, vested in the deity Lord Shree Krishna Virajman, and directions to the defendants (including U.P. Sunni Central Waqf Board) to remove the mosque. In the suits, it has also been claimed that Mathura’s Shahi Eidgah mosque was built under the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb, adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi (the place believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna) after demolishing a Hindu temple.

It may be noted that the Allahabad High Court, earlier this year on May 26, had transferred to itself all the suits pending before a Mathura court praying for various reliefs pertaining to the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah Mosque dispute.