Sambhal temple-mosque row: Court sets Aug 28 to hear case

A Chandausi court deferred the Shahi Jama Masjid–Harihar temple dispute hearing to August 28 after the mosque side argued jurisdiction lies with the Supreme Court. The case, involving claims of a temple beneath the mosque, has previously triggered violence in Sambhal

Sambhal: A court in Chandausi on Thursday fixed August 28 to hear the ongoing Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple dispute. The matter was listed for hearing before civil judge (senior division) Aditya Singh.

Advocate of the Hindu side, Shri Shri Gopal Sharma told PTI that on Thursday the opposite side filed an application saying since this matter was pending in the Supreme Court, the present court did not have the jurisdiction to hear this case.

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The matter was then deferred to August 28.

The Muslim side has challenged the maintainability of the case in the Allahabad High Court, but on May 19, the high court upheld the trial court’s order permitting a court-monitored survey and directed it to proceed with the matter.

While talking to reporters, Shahi Jama Masjid’s advocate Qasim Jamal confirmed filing the application and a judgment related to the Worship Act.

It was directed till the Supreme Court heard the case, all religious matters will not be heard by any other court, he added.

“Neither any case can be heard nor any action can be taken, when the order of the Supreme Court is still pending and a stay has been imposed till the next hearing,” he said.

Jamal added, “If this hearing takes place then it will be a violation of the Supreme Court’s guidelines.”

The trial court, therefore, said any objection should be filed by August 28.

The dispute dates back to November 19 last year, when Hindu petitioners, including advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain, filed a suit in the Sambhal district court claiming the mosque was built over a pre-existing temple.

A court-ordered survey was conducted on the same day (November 19), followed by another on November 24.

The second survey on November 24 led to significant unrest in Sambhal, resulting in the death of four persons and injuries to 29 police personnel.

The police booked SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and mosque committee head Zafar Ali in relation to the violence besides registering an FIR against 2,750 unidentified persons.