The Supreme Court on Friday directed that status quo be maintained till August 25 in the ongoing dispute over the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, while issuing notice to the Hindu petitioners in the matter.
A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar passed the interim order while hearing an appeal filed by the mosque committee. The committee had challenged the Allahabad High Court’s order that upheld a civil court’s directive for a survey of the Mughal-era mosque in connection with a dispute involving the adjacent Harihar Temple.
The Allahabad High Court had earlier ruled that the civil court’s decision to appoint a court commissioner and the maintainability of the suit were valid.
The controversy traces back to November 19, 2023, when a Sambhal civil judge ordered a survey of the mosque premises, which was conducted the same day. The mosque committee argued that the subsequent second survey conducted on November 24 was illegal, contending that it had not been authorized by the court.
By issuing notice to the Hindu petitioners and ordering maintenance of status quo, the Supreme Court has effectively paused further developments in the dispute until the matter is next taken up.
