Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing in the matter of Jama Masjid at Sambhal and directed to list the case on April 28.
Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh continues to remain tense since November 24 last year when violence erupted in the city’s Kot Garvi locality during a survey of the Mughal-era Jama Masjid. The incident led to the death of four people due to gunfire while several people including police personnel sustained injuries.
The court is hearing a matter related to the whitewashing and lightening of the mosque by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The court was informed that the matter had been fixed before the Supreme Court on Tuesday. On this, the court adjourned the hearing till April 28.
Earlier, hearing the matter on March 12, 2024, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal had directed the ASI for whitewashing as well as for lightening in the outer portion of the masjid.
Fixing the next date for the hearing, the court said in the meantime, the parties may exchange their pleadings.
S F A Naqvi, counsel for the Jama Masjid committee, said the body has challenged the maintainability of the survey order passed by a court in Sambhal before the high court.
The whitewashing work at the Jama Masjid was completed on March 14, marking the conclusion of the high court-mandated renovation process that began earlier last month. The whitewashing of the Mughal-era mosque came amid a legal dispute over the site’s history, following a petition claiming that the mosque was built over an ancient Hindu temple.
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