New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 22) extended its interim order of stay previously granted by it on the operation of the Allahabad High Court order appointing a commission to inspect the Shahi Idgah Mosque at Mathura in the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan deferred the hearing on the plea moved by the ‘Committee of Management of Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah’ against the court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex in the week commencing April 1.
What did the apex Court say?
CJI Khanna said that there were three issues pending now with the top court – the issue of an intra-court appeal against consolidation of lawsuits by the High Court on suits filed by the Hindu side and the other one challenge to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991) itself.
“List in the week commencing April 1. Interim order (on High Court staying the court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex) to continue,” the bench said.
Apex court stayed operation of High Court order in January last year
The apex court had on January last year first stayed the operation of the December 14, 2023 High Court order, which ordered court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex in Mathura and agreed to the appointment of a court commissioner to oversee it.
Apex court is also seized of Muslim side plea challenging maintainability of plea by Hindu side
The apex court is also seized of a plea filed by the Mosque Committee challenging the High Court order dismissing its plea challenging maintainability of cases filed by the Hindu side in Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute at Mathura.
The top court, during the last hearing on the matter, deferred hearing to March on the plea filed by the mosque management committee the High Court order dismissing its plea against the maintainability of Hindu side pleas in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute at Mathura.