Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah Dispute| Plea In Allahabad HC Seeks Appointment Of Revenue Surveyor To Ascertain Masjid's Location

In a significant development in the pending suit before the Allahabad High Court concerning Mathura's Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah Mosque dispute, an application has now been moved for the appointment of a Revenue Surveyor to ascertain the exact location of the Shahi Masjid Idgah.

Taking the application on record, a bench of Justice Mayank Kumar Jain, on January 17 gave liberty to the defendants (including the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board) to file its objections to the same. The matter has now been posted for hearing on January 30.

It may be noted that this application was filed a day after the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the Allahabad High Court order appointing a Commissioner to inspect the Shahi Eidgah mosque at Mathura in the Krishna Janmabhoomi case.

The application filed under Order 26 Rule 9 & 10 CPC has been moved by the deity (Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman) and 7 others through advocates Hari Shankar Jain, Vishnu Shankar Jain & Prabhash Pandey seeking a report as to whether the Shahi Masjid Idgah falls within the area of 13.37 acres of land, which is at the centre of the dispute.

The application further submits that the lis between the parties is as to whether Shahi Masjid Idgah falls within the 13.37 acres of land of Katra Keshav Dev which was purchased by Raja Patni Mal or the same is outside the said area and therefore, it has been prayed to the Court that to pinpoint as to whether the disputed structure is existing within 13.37 acres land of Katra Keshav Dev or not, the Court may direct to survey the land in question.

For context, the application in question has been moved in a pending original suit pending in the HC, inter alia, seeking a declaration that the land in dispute (including the area where Shahi Idgah Mosque is situated) vests in the deity Lord Shree Krishna Virajman and to direct the defendants (including UP Sunni U.P. Sunni Central Waqf Board) to remove the Mosque.

In the suit, it has also been claimed that Mathura's Shahi Idgah mosque was built under the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb, adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhumi, the place which is believed to be the place where Lord Krishna was born, after demolishing a Hindu temple.

Hearing the matter on Wednesday, the single judge appointed Senior Advocate Manish Goel as an Amicus Curie to assist the Court in the matter.