Allahabad HC upholds order for survey of Sambhal mosque

THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK

Prayagraj, May 19: The Allahabad High Court has upheld the trial court’s decision to conduct a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, dismissing the civil revision petition filed by the mosque committee challenging the survey.

The High Court has upheld the validity of the survey commissioner appointed by the lower court.

Along with this, the High Court also lifted the stay imposed on the trial, allowing proceedings in the case to resume in the district court. The court made it clear that the hearing in the matter will continue at the trial court level.

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With this decision, legal proceedings in the district court can now move forward. The High Court overruled the legal objections raised by the mosque committee, declaring the survey process valid.

Notably, a single bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal had reserved the judgment on May 13 after completing the hearing on the petition filed by the mosque committee. The petition challenged the maintainability of the case being heard in the district court.

The dispute began when Advocate Hari Shankar Jain and seven others filed a case in the court, claiming that the mosque was built after demolishing an ancient temple. According to the petitioners, the temple was dedicated to Kalki, the last incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and was demolished in 1526 to construct the mosque.

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Last year in November, the situation in Sambhal had turned tense over the survey. Protests erupted when the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) initiated the survey, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and several injuries.

In response to the seriousness of the situation, the Supreme Court had imposed a temporary stay on the trial court proceedings and directed that no hearing should take place in the lower court until the Allahabad High Court hears the matter.