'Janmbhoomi, Shahi Eidgah' issue sent back to civil court of Mathura

The Allahabad High Court on Monday sent the matter related to a plea seeking removal of Shahi Eidgah Mosque from Krishna Janmbhoomi in Mathura back to a civil court to decide, paving the way for hearing in the land dispute to finally begin.

The Mathura civil court had in 2020 denied the “right to sue” to Hindu petitioners, which HC held was an “error of law” by the judge who treated the matter as a miscellaneous case and decided it on the question of maintainability instead of registering it as a civil suit. The district court of Mathura had on May 19, 2022, overturned the civil court’s judgement, holding that the suit was “maintainable”.

UP Sunni Central Waqf Board and the trust of Shahi Eidgah then approached the high court challenging the decision. HC has affirmed district court’s verdict and vacated the stay it had imposed in August on the district judge’s verdict asking the lower court to hear the matter. While sending the matter back to the civil court, HC has directed it to decide it “without being influenced” by any observations or findings of the May 19 order of the district judge.