A court in Chandausi, Sambhal district, has postponed the hearing in the Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple dispute until July 21. The postponement comes in the wake of a stay on proceedings ordered by the Supreme Court, related to the survey controversy and a violence case stemming from the dispute.
The matter was listed for hearing before Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aditya Singh. The Hindu petitioners, including advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain, had filed a suit in the Sambhal district court on November 19, 2024, claiming that the mosque was built over a temple. The Muslim side had challenged the maintainability of the case in the Allahabad High Court. On May 19, 2025, the High Court upheld the trial court’s order permitting a court-monitored survey and directed that proceedings continue.
However, the advocate for the Hindu side, Shri Gopal Sharma, stated that due to the Supreme Court’s stay order, the trial court cannot issue any further orders. A court-ordered survey had previously been conducted at the site on November 19, 2025, followed by a second survey on November 24, which led to significant unrest in Sambhal. Four people died, and 29 police personnel were injured during that period. Subsequently, the police registered an FIR against 2,750 unidentified persons, including SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and mosque committee head Zafar Ali, in connection with the violence.
A petition seeking a ban on offering namaz at the Shahi Jama Masjid until its religious status is legally determined was also scheduled to be heard. This plea was filed by Simran Gupta, national president of the Hindu Shakti Dal. Gupta’s petition argued that allowing religious activities at a site declared “disputed” could hinder an impartial investigation and create perceptions of bias. The plea sought the sealing of the mosque and its custody transferred to the district magistrate until a final verdict is reached.
The legal dispute over the Shahi Jama Masjid dates back to November 19, 2023, when eight Hindu petitioners claimed the mosque stood on the site of an ancient Shri Harihar Temple. The subsequent court-ordered surveys in late 2023 led to violent clashes. The matter has also seen legal challenges reaching the Allahabad High Court, which upheld the trial court’s order for a survey on May 19, 2025, dismissing the mosque committee’s plea against it. The legal battle continues, with the title dispute now also before the Supreme Court.
The Chenab Times News Desk