Supreme Court stays Allahabad High Court’s Mathura’s Shahi Idgah Mosque survey order

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Allahabad High Court’s order that had permitted a court-supervised survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque adjoining the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The request for the appointment of a local commissioner was deemed "vague" by a bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta.

The Supreme Court was hearing a plea of the Committee of Management, Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah, contesting the high court's decision that permitted a commissioner to conduct a survey of the mosque. “You can’t file a vague application for appointment of court commissioner. It should be very specific on the purpose. You can’t leave everything to the court to look into it,” observed the Supreme Court.

Hindu groups have claimed that the mosque in question, believed to be on Lord Krishna's birthplace, should undergo a survey. A local court accepted this demand in December, but the Muslim side opposed it in the high court. The Hindu party, claiming ownership of the disputed 13.37 acres, contends that the ancient mosque replaced the Katra Keshav Dev temple, allegedly demolished by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. They point to carvings of lotuses and shapes resembling 'sheshnag' on mosque walls as evidence of the temple's existence.

The Muslim party previously dismissed the petition by referencing the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which preserves the religious status of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.