The Allahabad High Court ruled on Thursday that the trial in 18 cases connected to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura can proceed, dismissing a petition filed by the mosque committee challenging the suits' maintainability.
Justice Mayank Kumar Jain had on June 6 reserved his judgment on the plea moved by the Muslim side regarding maintainability of the suits. The court has now fixed August 12 as the date for framing of issues.
Several suits have been filed seeking the "removal" of the Shahi Idgah mosque located adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple, with litigants claiming that the Aurangazeb-era mosque was built after the demolition of the temple.
The mosque management committee, in its petition, had challenged these suits. The mosque management committee and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board argued that the suits were barred under Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 that prohibits changing the status of any place of worship from what it was on the days of the country’s Independence.
According to the Muslim side, the suits admit the fact that the mosque in question was built in 1669-70.
(With PTI inputs)
