Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah case: Hindu petitioners object to court’s stay on mosque survey, next hearing on Apr 17
The survey was to be conducted by the court ameen, who was asked to visit Shahi Eidgah premises and prepare a report.
AGRA During the hearing of the Krishna Janmabhoomi case on Tuesday, Hindu petitioners filed their objections to the court stay order on the survey of the Shahi Eidgah Mosque. Now, the Muslim side will have to file their reply to the objections. Civil judge (fast track court) has fixed April 17 as the next hearing of the case.
Earlier, on April 5, the court of civil judge senior division (fast track) had overturned its previous order and stayed the survey of the Shahi Eidgah Mosque premises in Mathura. The stay order came after the Sunni Central Waqf Board filed its objection in the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi case.
“During the hearing that took place on Tuesday, Hindu petitioners filed objections to the stay granted by the court. The petitioners believe that the court was right in ordering the court ameen (staff) to conduct a survey,” said Shailesh Dubey, the counsel for Hindu Sena.
On the other hand, Tanveer Ahmed, the secretary and counsel for Shahi Eidgah Mosque Management Committee in Mathura, said, “There is no need for survey by court ameen when we have already challenged the maintainability of case filed by Hindu petitioners on Sri Krishna Janambhoomi issue,”
Last year, another court, during the hearing of the case filed by Hindu Sena office bearers, had ordered for the survey of premises of the Shahi Eidgah Mosque. The survey was to be conducted by the court ameen, who was asked to visit Shahi Eidgah premises and prepare a report.
However, the order to conduct a survey was objected by the management committees of the Shahi Eidgah Mosque and Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board. “They were pressing for the hearing of the application which challenges the maintainability of the case,” said Neeraj Sharma, the counsel for Shahi Eidgah Mosque Management Committee.
To recall, a case pertaining to the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi case was filed in December by office bearers of Hindu Sena on behalf of Bhagwan Bal Krishna Thakur Keshav Dev Maharaj (Lord Krishna). On December 8, 2022, the additional civil judge (senior division) ordered the survey of the mosque by the court ameen (court staffer).
The petitioners in the case include -- Vishnu Gupta, the Delhi-based president of Hindu Sena, and Surjit Singh Yadav, vice-president of the outfit and a resident of Gurugram (Haryana). The petitioners have sought the shifting of the Shahi Eidgah Mosque, claiming that it was constructed on 13.37-acre land of the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust. The petition also challenged the settlement (dated October 12, 1968) between Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sangh and Shahi Masjid Eidgah, and sought cancellation of judgment and a decree based on it.
PIC CAPTION: A file photo of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Eidgah Masjid in Mathura city.
