Krishna Janmabhoomi case: Mathura court allows plea to seek ownership of Shahi Idgah Mosque land

 

The district court in Mathura on Thursday has allowed a lawsuit demanding the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura that is claimed to be built on the “Krishna Janmabhoomi” or the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

The Krishna Janmabhoomi complex spans 13.37 acres.

According to the petitioners, the Shahi Idgah mosque was built at the Krishna Janmabhoomi on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1669-70.

Lucknow resident Ranjana Agnihotri had filed the lawsuit as the 'next friend of the infant Lord Krishna' of the Katra Keshav Dev temple.

The ruling by District and Sessions court means that the civil suit will be heard by a lower court. The courts will look into revenue records and judge the validity of a 1968 ‘compromise agreement’ between Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan--- the temple management authority and a registered society under law and the Trust Masjid Idgah. The temple trust claim that the compromise is not valid because the trust holds the land and the temple management authority cannot enter into a compromise, according to Bar and Bench.

The Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust was established in 1958.

Earlier, the Mathura court had dismissed the Krishna Janmabhoomi suit because a large number of worshippers may approach the court in barious similar cases.

The civil court in Mathura had earlier dismissed the case saying it cannot be admitted under the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which maintains that the religious status of any place of worship as it was on August 15, 1947. The only exception to the law was the Babri mosque case which was partially destoyed in 1992 by Hindu activists who believed it was built on the ruins of an ancient temple.

The Supreme Court in 2019 handed over the mosque site to Hindus for a grand Ram temple and ordered alternative land for a mosque.

(With inputs from India Today)