The Supreme Court on Monday extended by two weeks its order maintaining status quo in the ongoing dispute over the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh.
A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Radhe passed the direction while hearing two appeals filed by the Committee of Management Jami Masjid Sambhal, represented by its secretary and vice-president. The top court also directed its registry to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a report.
During the hearing, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for the Hindu plaintiffs, opposed the extension of the status quo. Senior advocate Huzeifa Ahmadi, representing the mosque management, however, urged the court to continue the interim protection until the inquiry report is submitted.
The appeals before the Supreme Court challenge a ruling of the Allahabad High Court, which had dismissed the Masjid committee’s plea against a survey ordered by a Sambhal court in connection with the Shahi Jama Masjid and Harihar Temple dispute. The High Court upheld the civil court’s direction to appoint a court commissioner and said the suit was maintainable.
The controversy stems from a November 19, 2024, order of a Sambhal civil judge directing a survey of the Mughal-era mosque, which was carried out the same day. The mosque committee has also challenged a second survey conducted on November 24, 2024, claiming it was illegal as no such order was passed by the court.
With the extension, the status quo will remain in force for the next two weeks, while the Supreme Court examines the legality of the surveys and the High Court’s decision.
