Sambhal temple-mosque row: Court sets August 21 to hear case

Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh: A civil court in Chandausi on Tuesday deferred to August 21, the ongoing Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple dispute owing to the strike of the local bar association members.

The matter was listed for hearing before civil judge (senior division) Aditya Singh.

The Muslim side has challenged the maintainability of the case in the Allahabad High Court, but on May 19, the High Court upheld the subordinate court's order permitting a court-monitored survey and directed the trial court to proceed with the hearing.

Advocate Shri Gopal Sharma, appearing for one side, said, “Due to the bar association strike today, the court has fixed August 21 as the next date of hearing.”

Advocate Shakil Ahmad Warsi, who represents the other side, told PTI that due to rains the bar association was on strike due to which the matter was posted for another date.

The high court’s previous stay was vacated on May 19, and the documents related to that order were submitted in the trial court.

The dispute dates back to November 19 last year, when Hindu petitioners, including advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain, filed a suit in the Sambhal district court claiming the mosque was built over a pre-existing temple.

A court-ordered survey was conducted on the same day (November 19), followed by another on November 24.

The second survey on November 24 led to significant unrest in Sambhal, resulting in the death of four persons and injuries to 29 police personnel.

The police booked SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and mosque committee head Zafar Ali in relation to the violence besides registering an FIR against 2,750 unidentified persons.