AGRA: A district court in Mathura ruled on Thursday that a suit filed for the “removal” of the Shahi Idgah mosque was “maintainable”, overturning its dismissal two years ago. The next hearing is scheduled for May 26.
Thursday’s order was related to the first lawsuit in the case, which was filed by “Bhagwan Srikrishna Virajman” at Katra Keshav Dev Khewat, Mauja Mathura Bazaar City, through “next friend” Ranjana Agnihotri and six other devotees. Agnihotri, a Lucknow-based lawyer, had also represented the Hindu Mahasabha in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit in the Supreme Court.
In the suit, the plaintiffs claimed that “the mosque was built on the birthplace of Lord Krishna”. They sought “ownership of the entire 13.37-acre land” on which the structure stood and challenged the 1968 compromise agreement between the Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and Shahi Idgah authorities, in which some land was conceded by the former.
District and sessions judge Rajeev Bharti overturned a civil court order that had dismissed the suit on September 30, 2020. The earlier order had cited a bar on admitting the case in court under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The plaintiffs had filed a revision petition on October 16, 2020.
Till now, 11 cases have been filed in various Mathura courts on different aspects pertaining to the matter.
Senior Mathura advocate Gopal Khandelwal, who is fighting the case, told TOI that the court had accepted the revision petition. He said, “We have a right to file the suit and a right to challenge the compromise agreement.” He added, “If required, the property will be surveyed and videography will be done.” Advocate GP Nigam, representing the Waqf board, refused to comment on the development and said that he would “follow directions given by the board’s head office in Lucknow”.
Meanwhile, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted, “Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sangh and the Shahi Idgah Trust had resolved their issues by an agreement in 1968. Places of Worship Act, 1991, prohibits such cases from even going to court. But the law doesn’t matter anymore. Robbing Muslims of their dignity is the only goal now.”
