The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on pleas challenging the Sambhal mosque survey order until August 18, 2025. This decision came after the committee of management of the Jama Masjid in Sambhal sought the court’s intervention against an earlier ruling by the Allahabad High Court regarding the mosque’s survey in the ongoing Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple dispute.
A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe decided to defer the matter upon receiving a request for adjournment. The case arose from two separate petitions submitted by the mosque committee, which contested a May 19 order issued by the Allahabad High Court.
During earlier hearings, the Supreme Court asserted that the Allahabad High Court erred by proceeding with the survey ordered by a local Sambhal court. This assertion followed the apex court’s significant ruling on December 12, 2024, which prohibited all courts nationwide from entertaining new lawsuits or issuing interim orders regarding the reclamation of religious places, specifically mosques and dargahs.
The December 2024 order stemmed from pleas questioning various provisions of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. This law aims to preserve the existing religious character of places of worship as they stood on August 15, 1947, barring the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case from its restrictions.
Earlier, the Allahabad High Court rejected the mosque committee’s plea against the survey mandated by the Sambhal court, affirming the civil court’s authority to direct such surveys. In this context, the mosque committee had challenged a November 19, 2024, order from a civil judge, which mandated a survey of the Mughal-era mosque.
Moreover, the committee asserted that a subsequent survey carried out on November 24, 2024, occurred without the necessary civil court order and was thus illegal. The apex court had, on August 22 of the previous year, agreed to consider the mosque committee’s plea regarding the high court’s decision.
While deferring the hearing on Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed all parties involved to maintain the status quo, emphasizing the need for stability in the ongoing case.
A civil suit was registered before the senior division civil judge in Sambhal, contending that the mosque was constructed after the alleged demolition of a temple, specifically the Harihar temple. This temple, which the suit claims was destroyed by Mughal emperor Babur in 1526, lies at the heart of the dispute.
In its November 29, 2024, ruling, the Supreme Court ordered the Sambhal court to cease any proceedings related to the mosque and its survey in Chandausi, while also instructing the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure peace and harmony in the locality.
