Hearing in the Shahi Jama Masjid–Harihar Mandir dispute has been postponed to August 5 due to a lawyers’ strike. The case involves claims of a mosque built over a temple, sparking legal and communal tensions.
A civil court in Chandausi has postponed the hearing of the ongoing dispute involving the Shahi Jama Masjid and the claimed Harihar Mandir to August 5. The hearing was scheduled for Monday but was delayed due to a strike by the local bar association and a condolence meeting.
Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aditya Singh was supposed to hear the matter on July 21.
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However, the local bar association called for a strike, which led to the postponement of the case. Advocate Shri Gopal Sharma, representing the Hindu side, informed the press,
“Due to the condolence meeting and strike by the bar association today, the court has fixed August 5 as the next date of hearing.”
This case has gained attention since it touches upon a sensitive issue between the two religious communities. The Muslim side earlier challenged the maintainability of the suit in the Allahabad High Court.
However, on May 19, the High Court allowed the lower court’s decision for a court-monitored survey of the premises. The High Court also instructed the Chandausi trial court to continue with the hearing.
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In connection with this, District Government Counsel Prince Sharma confirmed that the state government had submitted an affidavit to the court.
He said,
“The matter pertains to a dispute over the Shahi Jama Masjid and the claimed Harihar Mandir. The high court’s earlier stay was vacated on May 19, and the documents related to that order were submitted in the trial court. Due to the strike today, the next date has now been fixed as August 5.”
This legal dispute goes back to November 19, 2023, when Hindu petitioners, including lawyers Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain, filed a case in the Sambhal district court.
They claimed that the Shahi Jama Masjid was constructed over a pre-existing Hindu temple called the Harihar Mandir. A court-ordered survey was conducted on the same day, and another survey followed on November 24.
The second survey led to major unrest in Sambhal. Violent clashes broke out, causing the death of four individuals and injuries to 29 police personnel.
The situation became tense, and in response, the police filed two FIRs. One FIR was a named complaint against Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and mosque committee chief Zafar Ali. The other FIR was filed against 2,750 unknown persons for their alleged involvement in the violence.
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