The Supreme Court has extended its stay on the Allahabad high court’s order that permitted a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque complex in Mathura.
The complex is located adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple, a site of significant religious importance for Hindus.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan said it will defer the hearing on the plea of the Committee of Management of Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah’ against the court-monitored survey of the mosque complex in the week commencing April 1.
The CJI said there were three issues pending now with the apex court and they are the issue of an intra-court appeal (against consolidation of lawsuits filed by the Hindu litigants), the other one is the Act (challenge to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991) itself. List in the week commencing April 1.
The bench said in the meanwhile the interim order of the Allahabad high court staying the court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex will continue to operate.
The top court, on January 16 last year, had first stayed the operation of the December 14, 2023 order of the high court.
The high court had allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex and agreed to the appointment of a court commissioner to oversee it.
The Hindu side claims the premises hold signs suggesting that a temple once existed at the site.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for the Hindu parties, had said the appeal of the mosque committee was filed against the December 14, 2023 order of the high court and connected orders in the matter had become infructuous.
