Shahi Idgah row: Allahabad HC hears both parties, to pronounce order on modalities of survey later

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday heard submissions of both parties in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute and said it will pronounce the order on the modalities of a survey of the mosque complex later.

On December 14, the court allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah adjoining the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura and said the modalities of the survey will be discussed at the next hearing.

The matter is in the court of Justice Mayank Kumar Jain.

As soon as the hearing started on Thursday, a prayer was made on behalf of the Muslim side for adjournment of the hearing on the grounds that a special leave petition (SLP) filed against the order for the survey commission is pending and likely to be heard on January 16 and further that their counsel Punit Gupta's father passed away.

On the issue of modalities and composition of the commission which will do the survey of the Shahi Idgah premises in Mathura, counsel for the plaintiff (Hindu side) said that the order constituting a survey team is not going to create harm to any party and the court may pass order constituting a survey team headed by any retired judge of the high court.

After hearing the counsels, the court said that the order be passed later and may be made available on its portal.

On December 14, the high court also agreed to the appointment of an advocate-commissioner to oversee the survey of the mosque, which the petitioners claim holds signs suggesting that it was a Hindu temple once.

Justice Jain while hearing a suit filed by the deity Bhagwan Shrikrishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev and seven others had allowed the application for commission survey.