Supreme Court rejects Muslim side's appeal against survey in Shahi Idgah Masjid
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New Delhi: In a development in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute, the Supreme Court has declined to stay the Allahabad High Court's order appointing a court commissioner to inspect the Shahi-Idgah mosque.
Hindu petitioners assert that the mosque stands on the grounds of the Krishna Janmasthan, the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
The Allahabad High Court has approved a scientific survey on the Shahi Idgah complex in Mathura, appointing an advocate commissioner for the task. The modalities for the survey, set to take place on December 18, are yet to be finalized.
The legal battle began when Ranjana Agnihotri of Lucknow filed a suit claiming ownership of 13.37 acres of land at Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi. Agnihotri's suit specifically demands the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque, believed to have been constructed in 1669-70 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
The Muslim side, invoking the Places of Worship Act of 1991, has sought to dismiss the petition. The act preserves the religious status of any place of worship as it stood on August 15, 1947.
However, this argument faces opposition from the Hindu petitioners, leading to a complex legal battle.
The Allahabad High Court now oversees a total of 18 cases related to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Masjid dispute, consolidating all pending suits from the local court in Mathura.