New Delhi, 29 November 2024 – The Supreme Court on Friday intervened in the ongoing legal and communal tensions in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, by instructing the local trial court to halt any actions related to a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a Mughal-era mosque and urging the Allahabad High Court to expedite a review of the case.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar issued the order and also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to take steps to ensure peace and harmony in the violence-stricken town.
The Muslim side had filed a plea challenging a district court's November 19 ruling, which called for a survey of the mosque, based on claims that a Hindu temple once stood at the location. The Supreme Court directed that the high court should take up the plea within three working days of its filing.
"We trust that the trial court will refrain from proceeding with the matter until the high court takes up the case and passes a decision," the bench stated.
Supreme Court instructed the Sambhal trial court to withhold any reports related to the mosque's survey until the Allahabad High Court rules on the matter.
The bench also advised the Muslim side to challenge the district court's order in the high court and scheduled the matter for further hearings in the week beginning January 6, 2025.
Supreme Court has also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure stability in the region.
The state has been ordered to form a peace committee with members from both the Muslim and Hindu communities to promote dialogue and prevent further violence.