New Delhi : The Allahabad High Court has reserved its verdict on the plea filed by the Sambhal Jama Masjid management challenging a lower court’s order to conduct a survey of the mosque premises, reported the Dawat News.
On Tuesday, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal of the single bench heard arguments from all parties and reserved the judgment. The mosque committee had filed a revision petition against the November 19, 2024, order of the Sambhal Civil Court that directed a survey of the mosque, a decision which sparked violent protests in the area.
The violence that erupted during the attempted survey last year led to the deaths of four individuals. Following this, the matter reached the Supreme Court, which temporarily stayed the survey proceedings.
Advocate Syed Faizan Ahmed Naqvi, representing the mosque committee, stated that the legal team had argued against the lower court’s decision, terming it arbitrary and unjustified. The court had earlier allowed the mosque committee to conduct annual painting and maintenance work before Ramadan, which had been opposed by the Hindu side citing alleged intentions to tamper with the structure.
On March 12, the High Court permitted the mosque management to carry out the painting work, dismissing the objections. However, the larger question of whether the mosque can be surveyed remained pending until Tuesday’s final hearing.
During the hearing, which lasted for nearly two hours, the mosque committee emphasized that the mosque has been a site of uninterrupted religious practice and that the survey order could incite further communal tensions. The Hindu petitioners, on the other hand, claimed historical significance and sought a survey to establish alleged pre-Islamic structures.
The High Court’s verdict is now awaited and will determine whether the proposed survey of the Sambhal Jama Masjid will go ahead or not.
