The Supreme Court on Friday directed that status quo be maintained in the ongoing Sambhal Mosque case in Uttar Pradesh, effectively staying the Allahabad High Court’s May 19 order until August 25.
A bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar was hearing the plea filed by the Sambhal Mosque Committee, which had challenged the High Court’s ruling. The Allahabad HC had earlier held that the dispute concerning the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal does not fall under the Places of Worship Act, 1991.
What the petitioner arguedSenior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the mosque committee, told the court that the challenge was specifically against the High Court’s conclusion that the case lies outside the scope of the Places of Worship Act. Justice Narasimha, in response, asked whether this matter should be tagged with the ongoing batch of petitions linked to the Act.
Hindu side’s argumentAppearing for the Hindu side, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain contended that the Places of Worship Act does not apply here, since the Sambhal mosque is a monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). He argued that the plaintiffs were merely seeking access to the monument, not raising a claim under the Act.
Jain also pointed out that another bench of the court, earlier on the same day, had passed an order declaring that ASI-protected monuments do not come under the Places of Worship Act. The SC bench then asked him to present that order on Monday, stating, “We do not want to pass an inconsistent order.”
Background of the caseThe controversy dates back to November 19, 2024, when a lower court appointed an advocate commissioner to carry out a local inspection of the mosque premises. The inspection triggered communal tensions in the region. The mosque committee challenged the order, but the Allahabad HC dismissed its plea.
Later, the Supreme Court stayed trial court proceedings in November 2024 until the High Court gave its ruling on the committee’s petition. With the matter now pending, the top court has adjourned further hearing to Monday, August 25, while ordering that status quo must continue till then.
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