Sambhal temple-mosque row: Court sets September 25 for hearing

A court in Chandausi on Thursday fixed September 25 to hear the ongoing Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple dispute.

The matter was listed for hearing before civil judge (senior division) Aditya Singh.

Shahi Jama Masjid advocate Shakeel Ahmed Warsi, while talking to reporters, said the hearing was scheduled today but owing to the stay by the Supreme Court, it was deferred to September 25.


Hindu side advocate Shri Shri Gopal Sharma, while talking to PTI, confirmed the development.

The Muslim side has challenged the maintainability of the case in the Allahabad High Court, but on May 19, the high court upheld the trial court's order permitting a court-monitored survey and directed it to proceed with the matter.

The dispute dates back to November 19 last year, when Hindu petitioners, including advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain, filed a suit in the Sambhal district court claiming the mosque was built over a pre-existing temple.

A court-ordered survey was conducted on the same day (November 19), followed by another on November 24.

The second survey on November 24 led to significant unrest in Sambhal, resulting in the death of four persons and injuries to 29 police personnel.

The police booked SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and mosque committee head Zafar Ali in relation to the violence besides registering an FIR against 2,750 unidentified persons.