"Won't Stay High Court Order": Supreme Court On Mathura Land Dispute

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday approved the conduct of a scientific survey on the Shahi Idgah complex at Mathura.

Krishna Janmabhoomi Land Dispute: There are a total of 18 cases in the High Court.

New Delhi:

In Mathura's Krishna Janmabhoomi land dispute, Supreme Court refuses to put on hold order approving the survey of the Shahi Idgah on the disputed land. Hindu outfits have claimed the mosque was built on the birthplace of Lord Krishna and had demanded a survey. The demand was admitted by a local court in December last year but the Muslim side had filed an objection in the High Court.

"Supreme Court has refused to stay the proceedings and the Supreme Court has fixed the matter so far as challenge to the transfer order is concerned on 9th of January...The High Court order will continue and the High Court will proceed with the matter and there is no stay by the Supreme Court," said Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer for the Hindu side.

In a groundbreaking decision yesterday, the Allahabad High Court approved the conduct of a scientific survey on the Shahi Idgah complex at Mathura.

The court on Thursday appointed an advocate commissioner and gave in-principle approval for surveying the Shahi Idgah complex. The modalities of the Commission of advocates for the survey will be decided on December 18.

Earlier, Ranjana Agnihotri, a resident of Lucknow had filed a suit demanding the ownership of 13.37 acres of land of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi. In her legal suit, Ms Agnihotri demanded to remove the Shahi Idgah mosque built in Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi.

The suit filed in the Mathura court has sought the removal of a mosque said to have been built in 1669-70 on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 13.37-acre premises of Katra Keshav Dev temple near the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

The Muslim side had earlier sought to dismiss the petition by citing the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which maintains the religious status of any place of worship as it was on August 15, 1947.

There are a total of 18 cases in the High Court concerning the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Masjid dispute, after the court transferred to itself all pending suits before the local court in Mathura.

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