Mosque-temple case: Allahabad HC grants time to Sambhal Masjid body to file rejoinder
The matter is being heard on a revision petition filed by Masjid committee challenging an Sambhal court order by which the civil court had directed ASI survey by an advocate commissioner
The Allahabad high court on Monday granted time to the Sambhal Jama Masjid Committee to submit a rejoinder to the counter-affidavit filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the dispute relating to the mosque and Harihar temple at Sambhal.
The bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal fixed May 12 as the next date of hearing. The matter is being heard on a revision petition filed by Masjid committee challenging an Sambhal court order by which the civil court had directed ASI survey by an advocate commissioner.
The high court earlier had stayed the further trial court proceedings of original suit till next date pending before the district court at Sambhal, where Hindu side plaintiff had sought declaration to the effect that they have the right of access into Shri Harihar Temple, which is alleged Jami Masjid situated at Mohalla Kot Purvi in Sambhal district. Now, the stay will continue till the next date of listing.
When the matter was taken up on Monday, the counsel for the ASI said he had filed his counter-affidavit on which Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal granted time to the masjid committee to file a rejoinder.
The ASI on Monday also filed the survey report through a pen drive before the Allahabad high court. Besides, a hard copy of the counter affidavit filed by ASI was provided to the counsel for the revisionist in the court itself. A counter affidavit on behalf of the state government was also served to the counsel for the revisionist.
The present civil revision was filed after the order of the Supreme Court in this regard challenging the entire proceedings as well as the maintainability of the suit before the Sambhal district court.
In the petition, it has been alleged that the suit was filed on November 19, 2024 afternoon, and within hours, the judge appointed an advocate commissioner and directed him to carry out an initial survey at the mosque, which was done on the same day i.e. on November 19, and again on November 24, 2024.
The court had also directed that a report of the survey be filed before it by November 29. Advocate Hari Shanker Jain and seven others have filed a suit before the court of civil judge senior division, Sambhal, on the plea that Shahi Eidgah mosque was built after demolishing a temple at Sambhal.
