Sambhal, 21 Aug (HS): A Chandausi court scheduled a hearing on

the continuing Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple dispute on Thursday, August 28.

The case was scheduled for a hearing before civil judge (senior division)

Aditya Singh. Shri Shri Gopal Sharma, an advocate for the Hindu side, stated

that the opposing party submitted a motion on Thursday, claiming that because

the issue was pending in the Supreme Court, the current court lacked

jurisdiction to hear it. The subject was then pushed back until August 28.

The Muslim side disputed the case's maintainability in the

Allahabad High Court, but on May 19, the court affirmed the trial court's

ruling allowing a court-monitored survey and instructed that it proceed with

the matter.

While speaking with media, Shahi Jama Masjid's counsel Qasim

Jamal confirmed submitting the case and obtaining a decision under the Worship

Act. He stated that until the Supreme Court hears the issue, no other court

will consider any religious concerns. He stated that no lawsuit or action may

be heard or taken while the Supreme Court's order is still pending and a stay

has been issued until the next hearing. Jamal went on to say that if this

hearing does happen, it will violate the Supreme Court's standards. As a

result, the trial court ordered that any objections be made by August 28.

The disagreement began on November 19, last year, when Hindu

petitioners, including attorneys Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain,

filed a lawsuit in the Sambhal district court, saying that the mosque was

erected on top of an old temple. A court-ordered survey was done on the same

day (November 19), with another on November 24. The second survey, conducted on

November 24, sparked severe rioting in Sambhal, killing four people and injuring

29 police officers. The police booked SP MP Ziaur Rahman Barq and mosque

committee head Zafar Ali in connection with the incident, and they also filed a

FIR against 2,750 unidentified people.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi