New Delhi, 29 November (H.S.): The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea filed by the management committee of Sambhal's Shahi Jama Masjid on Friday, challenging a district court's November 19 order to survey the Mughal-era mosque. In response to the recent violence that broke out in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel has formed a three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission to investigate the incident. The commission, headed by retired Justice Devendra Kumar Arora of Allahabad high court, aims to ensure transparency and quality of inquiry.

The plea filed in the apex court seeks an ex-parte stay on the district court's order and states that the rushed and sudden survey has resulted in communal tensions and threatens the secular and democratic fabric of the nation. The violence in Sambhal erupted on November 24 as protesters clashed with security personnel following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site of the mosque.

The plea argues that such orders can have a dangerous impact on similar cases concerning places of worship across the country, potentially fueling communal tensions and disrupting law and order.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar