The Allahabad High Court on Thursday adjourned till January 17 the hearing on the modalities of a survey of the Shahi Idgah complex located next to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura.
On December 14, the court had allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah and had said the modalities of the survey will be discussed at the next hearing.
The Hindu side in the Krishna Janmabhumi-Shahi Idgah case had appealed for constituting a commission for the survey, claiming the mosque holds signs suggesting that it was a Hindu temple once.
Justice Mayank Kumar Jain adjourned the hearing after being informed that the counsel for the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, Lucknow, would not be able to attend court as his father had passed away.
"Punit Kumar Gupta, the learned counsel of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, Lucknow, has moved an application on the ground that his father has expired and he is not able to attend court. Gupta is also to be heard on the composition and modalities of the commission," the judge said.
When the hearing started, a prayer was made on behalf of the Muslim side for adjournment of hearing on the grounds that a special leave petition (SLP) filed against the order for survey commission is pending and likely to be heard on January 16, and further that its counsel Punit Gupta's father has passed away.
On the issue of modalities and composition of the commission, the counsel for the Hindu side said the order for constituting the survey team is not going to harm any party. It urged the court to pass the order for constituting the team and appoint a retired judge of the high court to head it.
On December 14, the high court had agreed to the appointment of an advocate-commissioner to oversee the survey of the mosque.
Justice Jain while hearing a suit filed by the deity Bhagwan Shrikrishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev and seven others had allowed the application for commission survey.
