The Supreme Court adjourned on August 1, 2023, the hearing on petitions challenging the Allahabad High Court’s order regarding the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal. This hearing, now scheduled for August 18, involves pleas filed by the mosque’s management committee against a May 19, 2025 directive from the high court.
Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, who presided over the matter, decided to defer it following a request for adjournment circulated among the parties involved. The Supreme Court previously received arguments stating that the Allahabad High Court should have refrained from proceeding with the survey in light of its December 2024 order.
In a crucial ruling on December 12, 2024, the apex court issued a directive preventing all courts across the country from entertaining new lawsuits regarding the reclamation of religious properties until further notice. This includes mosques and dargahs, and the order aims to uphold the integrity and religious character of places of worship as established on August 15, 1947.
The only exemption from this law concerns the high-profile Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya.
The Allahabad High Court had previously dismissed the mosque committee’s plea against the survey, asserting that the civil court’s order for a survey in Sambhal was upholdable and legally sound. The committee had contested a November 19, 2024, order from a civil judge that led to the survey of the mosque, claiming that the second survey conducted a few days later was unlawful due to the lack of a civil court directive.
On August 22, 2022, the Supreme Court had agreed to hear the mosque committee’s case against the high court’s decision. During their previous ruling, the justices instructed the parties to maintain the status quo, preserving the conditions as they stood at that time.
The crux of this legal battle dates back to historical claims surrounding the mosque’s origins. The petitioners argue that the Shahi Jama Masjid, built by Mughal emperor Babur in 1526, stood on the site of the demolished Harihar temple. This assertion lies at the heart of the ongoing dispute over religious sites in India.
On November 29, 2024, the Supreme Court intervened to halt any further proceedings in the Sambhal court regarding the mosque and its survey while directing the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure peace and harmony in the area in light of the sensitive nature of the case. The mosque committee continues to advocate for their rights over the mosque, stressing historical significance while also navigating the legal intricacies involved in the dispute.
