On Thursday, the Allahabad High Court ruled that the 18 suits filed by the Hindu side in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute are maintainable.

The maintainability of the suits filed by the deity and Hindu parties was challenged by the management of Shahi Idgah Masjid. They argued that the suits are barred by the Places of Worship Act, the Limitation Act, and the Specific Relief Act.

Today, Justice Mayank Kumar Jain rejected the application moved by the Muslim side. 

The dispute originated from the original suit filed by the Hindu side, which claimed that the Mathura Shahi Idgah Masjid was built over Krishna Janmabhoomi land. The Hindu side has sought the removal of the mosque, asserting that there are various indications to support the view that the Shahi-Idgah Mosque is, in fact, a Hindu temple.

On December 14 last year, the High Court allowed an application filed on behalf of a Hindu deity, Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman, and seven other Hindu parties for the appointment of a court commissioner to inspect the Shahi-Idgah mosque. However, this direction was later stayed by the Supreme Court.

The proceedings were transferred from the trial court to the High Court in 2023. Initially, a civil court dismissed the suit in September 2020, citing the bar under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. This decision was overturned on appeal by the Mathura District Court in May 2022, which held that the suit was maintainable.

Advocates Vishnu Jain, Devki Nandan Sharma, Prabhash Pandey and Pradeep Kumar Sharma appeared for the plaintiffs (Hindu side).

Advocates Tasneem Ahmadi, Nasiruzzaman, Gulrez Khan, Hare Ram, Nasiruzzaman and Punit Kumar Gupta appeared for defendants (Muslim side).