Sambhal violence: SC bars local court from taking further steps on mosque survey till Jan 8

The Supreme Court of India on Friday (Nov 29) directed the government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to maintain peace and harmony in Sambhal and temporarily restrained a local court from proceeding with a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid until January 8. The apex court also advised the mosque committee to challenge the survey order in the high court, adding that the petition would be heard within three days.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, added that the advocate commissioner’s survey report must remain confidential. The chief justice said, “We hope and trust the trial court would not take any further steps in the matter until the high court takes up the proceedings in relation to the matter and passes suitable orders.”

The Supreme Court’s intervention comes after the mosque committee filed a plea against the survey of the mosque site in Sambhal. Chief Justice Khanna added, “In case any revision appeal is preferred before an appropriate forum, same would be listed within three working days. We hope and trust the trial court will not further proceed till High Court passes appropriate orders,” as reported by Live Law.

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The Supreme Court hearing took place just days after violent clashes broke out during the second survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid site on November 24, which resulted in the death of four people. Late Thursday (Nov 28) night, the Uttar Pradesh government appointed a three-member committee, led by former Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora, to investigate the incident.

Sambhal mosque row: All you need to know

The controversy began on November 19 when eight individuals, including Supreme Court lawyer Hari Shankar Jain, filed a case in Sambhal’s civil court. They alleged that the Shahi Jama Masjid was built on the site of an ancient “Harihar Temple” and sought access to the location, claiming it as a temple.

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The situation escalated on November 24 when a survey team, acting on the local court’s orders, visited the mosque for a second time. Protests turned violent, with stone-pelting from the crowd and police using tear gas to control the situation.

The managing committee of the Shahi Jama Masjid then approached the Supreme Court, requesting an immediate halt to the survey. In their petition, they argued that such surveys of historical religious sites could inflame communal tensions and harm the secular principles of the country.

(With inputs from agencies)