The Allahabad High Court on Thursday fixed November 7 as the next date of hearing in the ongoing Krishna Janmabhoomi–Shahi Idgah mosque dispute in Mathura. The matter will now be heard by Justice Avinash Saxena, who has been nominated to take over after Justice Ram Manohar Narain Mishra’s transfer to the Lucknow Bench.
During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Saxena verified the case records and documents and directed counsels for all parties to file their replies on the pending applications. The court also instructed that written statements must be filed in those cases where they have not yet been submitted, to ensure procedural compliance before the next hearing.
The dispute centres on the Shahi Idgah mosque, located adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple complex in Mathura. Hindu parties allege that the mosque was built during Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s reign after demolishing a temple at Lord Krishna’s birthplace.
The Hindu side has filed 18 suits, seeking possession of the land after the “removal” of the Shahi Idgah mosque structure. The suits also pray for restoration of the temple and a permanent injunction.
On August 1, 2024, the High Court had dismissed the Muslim side’s objections that challenged the maintainability of these suits. In that order, the court ruled that the suits are not barred by the Limitation Act, the Waqf Act, or the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits conversion of the religious character of places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947.
The next hearing on November 7 will likely focus on the replies to the pending applications and the written statements, paving the way for further substantive hearings in this decades-old and legally complex dispute.
