Supreme Court to Hear Plea on Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Survey Stay

New Delhi-- The Supreme Court will hear a plea on Friday seeking a stay on the survey of the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid. The mosque committee filed the plea to challenge a district court order that called for the survey to determine if the disputed structure was originally a Harihar temple.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar will preside over the hearing on November 29, according to the Supreme Court's website.

The Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Committee's petition seeks an immediate stay on the survey, which was ordered by Chandausi’s Civil Judge on November 19. The committee also requests that the survey commissioner's report be sealed and the status quo maintained until the Supreme Court reaches a decision.

Furthermore, the petition argues that surveys should not be ordered in cases of religious property disputes without hearing from all involved parties and allowing them adequate time to seek legal recourse.

Tensions escalated in Sambhal on November 24 during the second survey of the Mughal-era mosque. The survey, which began at 7 a.m., was met with resistance from local residents who pelted stones at the police team, leading to violence that resulted in four deaths and numerous injuries. Following the incident, the Uttar Pradesh government ordered a judicial inquiry into the violence.

The three-member committee, headed by retired High Court judge Justice Devendra Kumar Arora, is tasked with submitting its report within two months. The inquiry aims to determine whether the violence was a pre-planned conspiracy or a normal criminal incident.