NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is set to hear a petition from the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Committee challenging a local court’s decision to survey the mosque. The case, which has sparked communal unrest, will be taken up today by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar.
The mosque committee contends that the survey was ordered and conducted hastily on November 19, with the process starting the same evening and continuing from 6 PM to 8:30 PM. The committee claims it was not given sufficient time to seek legal remedies. Subsequently, on November 23, the committee was notified at midnight about another survey scheduled for the next morning. By 6:15 AM on November 24, surveyors arrived at the mosque accompanied by heavy police presence, allegedly forcing worshippers present for morning prayers to vacate the premises immediately.
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The original survey order came after a petition filed by Advocate Hari Shankar Jain and others alleged that the mosque was built over a demolished temple during the Mughal era. Acting on these claims, the Sambhal civil court appointed an advocate commissioner to conduct the survey and submit a report by November 29.
The petition filed before the Supreme Court argues that such surveys, conducted without proper notice or hearing, risk escalating communal tensions and undermining the nation’s secular fabric. The committee has requested the apex court to issue directions to ensure that surveys concerning places of worship are not carried out routinely, especially in sensitive interfaith disputes, without providing defendants sufficient time for legal recourse.
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The situation in Sambhal escalated after the second survey on November 24, resulting in violent clashes between protestors and police. Reports indicate that four people lost their lives amid stone-pelting and vehicle torching. Meanwhile, a separate plea has been filed in the Allahabad High Court, seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the violence.
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear the matter, tensions remain high, with the case highlighting the complex interplay between historical claims, religious sensitivities, and legal processes in India.