Mathura court to hear on September 30 suit seeking removal of mosque

Mathura, September 28

A Mathura court has set September 30 as the next date for hearing a suit seeking the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque near the birthplace of Lord Krishna here.

The suit, which was filed in the court of civil judge, senior division, on Friday, has also demanded the annulment of a 1968 Mathura court ruling, ratifying a land deal reached between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and the Shahi Idgah Management Committee on the mosque.

The suit related to the Sri Krishna Janmasthan-Shahi Masjid Idgah land dispute will be heard on September 30, the petitioner’s counsel Hari Shankar Jain said on Monday.

The suit seeks the removal of the mosque from a 13.37-acre plot, which the petitioner’s claimed, belongs to Shri Krishna Virajman.

“We will come on September 30 to present our case,” he said.

The suit was filed on Friday on behalf of child deity Bhagwan Shrikrishna Virajman, through the “next friend” Ranjana Agnihotri and seven others, Jain said.

Next friend is a legal term for a person who represents someone directly unable to maintain a suit.

The group of people moved the court over the 17th century Shahi Idgah mosque which they claim was built at the birthplace of Krishna, within the 13.37-acre premises of the Katra Keshav Dev temple.

The defendants in the case are the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, the Shahi Masjid Idgah Trust, the Shri Krishna Janambhoomi Trust and Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan, Jain said. PTI