Allahabad High Court Upholds Survey of Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid Amid Temple Claims
The ruling comes after the Mosque Committee’s plea to halt the proceedings was dismissed by a single-judge bench led by Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal.
Sambhal: The Allahabad High Court on Monday upheld a trial court order directing a survey of the 500-year-old Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district. The ruling comes after the Mosque Committee’s plea to halt the proceedings was dismissed by a single-judge bench led by Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal.
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Mosque Committee’s Plea Dismissed
The mosque committee had challenged the November 2024 order of the Sambhal district court that allowed a survey of the mosque premises based on a petition filed by Hindu claimants. The petitioners alleged that an ancient Hari Har Temple once stood at the site and was partly demolished during Babur’s reign in 1526 to construct the mosque.
Survey Sparks Communal Violence
The order had led to violent clashes on November 24, 2024, when a mob tried to block the Advocate Commission team from carrying out the court-mandated survey. The police had to intervene, leading to unrest and injuries in the area.
SC Had Temporarily Halted Proceedings
Following the eruption of violence, the Supreme Court had put a temporary stay on trial court proceedings, instructing all parties to wait until the High Court decided on the mosque committee’s objections.
ASI: Mosque Is a Protected Monument, Not a Public Worship Site
In court, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) clarified that the Shahi Jama Masjid is a centrally protected monument, and claimed no documented proof exists to classify it as a place of public worship.
Dual Surveys and Dispute Over Notice
The mosque committee argued that the survey was conducted hastily, without issuing prior notice, and pointed out that two surveys were done — one on the day of the trial court order and another on the day violence broke out.
Survey Report Submitted in Sealed Cover
The Advocate Commissioner Ramesh Raghav, who led the survey, has already submitted his report in a sealed envelope to the Sambhal trial court. With the High Court’s recent decision, the case is now expected to move forward in the district court.
Hindu Petitioners Stand by Claim
The Hindu side, represented by Advocate Hari Shankar Jain and others, maintains that the mosque was built over a demolished temple site, which they claim had religious significance predating the mosque.
The case now returns to the district court in Sambhal, where the original suit and the survey findings will be reviewed.
