Krishna Janmabhoomi Case: Allahabad HC Rejects Plea To Refer To 'Eidgah Mosque' As 'Disputed Structure' In All Future Proceedings
In the ongoing suits pertaining to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute, the Allahabad High Court on Thursday DISMISSED an application seeking to substitute the term 'Shahi Idgah Mosque' with 'disputed structure' in all future proceedings related to the cases before the HC. A bench of Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra orally said that the application was being dismissed "at...
In the ongoing suits pertaining to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute, the Allahabad High Court on Thursday DISMISSED an application seeking to substitute the term 'Shahi Idgah Mosque' with 'disputed structure' in all future proceedings related to the cases before the HC.
A bench of Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra orally said that the application was being dismissed "at this stage".
The single judge was dealing with an application filed in Original Suit OSUT No. 13 of 2023 by advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh. His application was supported by several other parties, including plaintiffs in OSUT No. 07 of 2023.
For context, a total of 18 suits, now clubbed together, are presently pending before the Allahabad High Court, all primarily seeking the removal of alleged illegal encroachments from the premises of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple, currently referred to as the Shahi Idgah Masjid.
Background
The controversy is related to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb-era Shahi Eidgah mosque at Mathura, which is alleged to have been built after demolishing a temple at the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
In 1968, a 'compromise agreement' was brokered between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan, which is the temple management authority, and the Trust Shahi Masjid Eidgah, allowing both places of worship to operate simultaneously. However, the validity of this agreement has now been challenged in the fresh suits by parties seeking various forms of relief in courts with respect to Krishna Janmabhoomi. The litigants' contention is that the compromise agreement was made fraudulently and is invalid in law. Claiming a right to worship at the disputed site, many of them have sought the Shahi Eidgah mosque's removal.
In May 2023, the Allahabad High Court transferred to itself all suits pending before the Mathura Court praying for various reliefs pertaining to the dispute.
This transfer order was challenged in the Supreme Court by the mosque committee, and later by the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board.
In December 2023, the High Court allowed a plea seeking the appointment of a court commissioner to inspect the Shahi Idgah Mosque. In January, 2024, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the order. Subsequently, this stay was extended.
Appearances
S/Sri Hari Shankar Jain, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Saurabh Tiwari, Mrs. Reena N.Singh, Harshit Gupta (through Video Conferencing) and Sri Hare Ram Tripathi, Satyaveer Singh, Kushal Raj Chaudhary, Radhey Shyam Yadav, Prateek Kumar Srivastava, Prabhash Pandey, Mayank Singh, Arya Suman Pandey, Sandeep Kumar Agrahari, Manvendra Kumar, Ashvanee Kumar Srivastava, Bipin Kumar Jaiswal, Vinay Sharma, Siddharth Srivastava, Rana Singh, Anil Kumar Singh, Ajay Kumar Singh, Tiwari Abhishek Rajesh and Ashish Kumar Srivastava, Ashutosh Pandey, in person, (through video conferencing) for the plaintiffs.
Mrs. Tasneem Ahmadi (through video conferencing), Sri Nasiruzzaman, Hare Ram Tripathi, Pranav Ojha, Afzal Ahmad, Tanveer Ahmad Khan and Imran, counsels for the defendants.