Krishna Janmabhoomi case: Allahabad High Court allows plea to appoint commission to inspect Shahi-Idgah mosque

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday allowed an application seeking the appointment of a court commissioner to inspect the Shahi-Idgah mosque in connection with the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute..Justice Mayank Kumar Jain passed the direction today on an application filed on behalf of a Hindu deity, Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman and seven other Hindu parties. .The application was filed as part of an original suit pending before the High Court, in which the plaintiffs (Hindu side) have claimed that the Mathura Shahi Idgah Masjid was built over Krishna Janmabhoomi land.The applicants alleged that various indications exist to support the view that the Shahi-Idgah Mosque is, in fact, a Hindu temple. Therefore, the applicants had urged the Court to appoint a commission to examine the site. The said application was filed through advocates Hari Shankar Jain, Vishnu Shankar Jain, Prabhash Pandey and Devki Nandan..The main suit seeks the removal of the Mathura Shahi Idgah Masjid on the ground that it was built over Krishna Janmabhoomi land..A civil court had earlier dismissed the suit on September 30, 2020 citing the bar on admitting the case under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. However, this decision was overturned after an appeal before the Mathura District Court.The appellants had asserted that as devotees of Lord Krishna, they have a right to move the suit in view of their fundamental religious rights under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.The Mathura District Court in May 2022 held that the suit was maintainable and overturned the civil court order dismissing the suit..Later, in May 2023 the High Court allowed a plea moved by the Hindu side seeking the transfer of the suit from the trial court to the High Court.In a February 1 order of the High Court, Justice Nalin Kumar Srivastava opined that the matter required consideration and sought the response of the other side on the matter. The case is presently pending before the High Court.