New Delhi. Allahabad High Court today stayed the hearing of the Shahi Jama Masjid and Shri Harihar Temple case going on in the district court of Sambhal. The High Court, while hearing the petition filed by the Arrangement Committee of Shahi Jama Masjid, has stayed the hearing of the case till February 25. The High Court has sought replies from all the parties to the case, for which four weeks’ time has been given. On the reply of the parties, the Mosque Committee will have to file a reply within two weeks. The High Court will hear this case as a new case on February 25.
It is noteworthy that a petition was filed in the District Court of Sambhal on 19 November 2024 on behalf of advocate Harishankar Jain and some others. In this, the Shahi Jama Masjid of Sambhal was earlier claimed to be Shri Harihar Temple. Accepting this petition, the district court had ordered a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. On November 24, when the ASI team reached the Jama Masjid premises for the survey, a large number of people from the Muslim community gathered there and started protesting against the survey. Soon the crowd increased and people got angry which turned into violence.
Four people were killed in this violence while more than 30 people were injured. Since then, Sambhal has remained a topic of constant discussion. Recently, the administration opened a temple in the violence-hit area of Sambhal which was closed for 44 years. Apart from this, excavation is also being done there by ASI in which many ancient things including stepwell have been unearthed. The ancient well near the temple which was filled up was also freed from encroachment by the police.
