Supreme Court extends till November stay on survey of Shahi Eidgah mosque in Mathura

The bench said that the issue required extensive arguments and a related order issued by the Allahabad High Court earlier this month would also have to be examined.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday extended its stay till November on holding a survey of the Shahi Eidgah mosque adjoining the Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple in Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh by an advocate-commissioner.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, submitted before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar to consider listing their plea requesting vacating the stay over the survey.

Jain, referring to the order passed by the Allahabad High Court on August 1, contended that the Muslim side's petition before the Supreme Court was ineffective. However, the bench said that it would be able to take up the matter for a hearing only in November.

The bench said that the issue required extensive arguments and a related order issued by the High Court earlier this month would also have to be examined.

On August 1, 2024, the High Court said the trial in 18 suits relating to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute could continue, as it dismissed the challenge by the mosque management committee.

The High Court fixed the matter on August 12, for framing of the issues in the suit.

On January 16, 2024, the Supreme Court had stayed the Allahabad High Court's December 14, 2023 order directing a survey of the Shahi Eidgah mosque abutting the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura.

The apex court is already seized of the matter related to transfer of jurisdiction. The High Court had on May 26, 2023 decided to hear itself nearly 18 suits relating to Krishna Janmasthan-Shahi Eidgah land dispute by transferring them to itself from various civil courts in Mathura.