LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court on Monday rejected a plea by the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Committee challenging a trial court order for a mosque survey over claims it was built after razing a Harihar temple.
With Monday’s order, the Allahabad High Court bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal upheld the trial court’s directive for a survey of the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid. The court also noted that the Hindu plaintiffs’ suit is prima facie maintainable. Earlier, on November 19, 2024, Sambhal Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aditya Singh had ordered the mosque survey and appointed Advocate Commissioner Ramesh Singh Raghav for the task.
The High Court had reserved its verdict on May 13 after completing arguments in the case. Earlier, on January 8, 2025, it had issued an interim stay on the mosque survey and sought responses from all opposing parties.
Significantly, the Sambhal trial court had ordered the mosque survey based on a suit filed by eight Hindu plaintiffs, including Mahant Rishiraj Giri, who claimed the Jama Masjid was built in 1526 after demolishing the ancient Harihar temple, believed to be dedicated to Kalki, the final incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
However, the Supreme Court stayed the trial court proceedings in November 2024, after five people were killed and several, including police personnel, were injured during violent protests by members of the Muslim community while the survey was underway on November 24.
The Supreme Court had directed the Sambhal trial court to halt proceedings until the mosque management committee’s plea against the survey was heard by the Allahabad High Court. Meanwhile, on January 2, 2025, a 45-page survey report of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal was submitted to the Chandausi court, along with 4.5 hours of videography and over 1,200 photographs. The report claimed to have found evidence suggesting the presence of a temple structure within the mosque premises.
On February 25, 2025, the Shahi Jama Masjid Committee's counsel, Zahir Asghar, moved the Allahabad High Court seeking permission to paint the mosque. The Hindu plaintiffs opposed the plea, arguing that painting the structure could potentially erase or tamper with evidence of the alleged temple remains and requested that permission be denied.
On February 27, 2025, the Allahabad High Court held the first hearing on the mosque painting plea and constituted a three-member committee, including the mosque's mutawalli and officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), to inspect the site and submit a report within 24 hours.
On February 28, acting on the Allahabad High Court’s directive, an ASI team visited the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal for a survey. The team spent about 90 minutes at the site and prepared its report. Advocate Zafar Ali, representing the Muslim side, was also present during the inspection.
Three key developments followed. On March 4, 2025, the Allahabad High Court termed the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal a “disputed structure.” On March 12, the court allowed the mosque committee to carry out painting of the mosque’s exterior walls and install lighting for Ramadan, but with strict directions that no damage should be done to the structure. The painting work, supervised by the ASI, began on March 16.
