The Supreme Court of India has adjourned its hearing on pleas challenging the Allahabad High Court’s order, which permitted a survey of the historical Jama Masjid in Sambhal. This postponement comes as the case will now be taken up again on August 18, 2025.
A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe scheduled the adjournment after noting that a letter requesting more time had been circulated among the involved parties. This high-profile case involves the mosque committee filing two separate pleas against a May 19, 2025 ruling by the Allahabad High Court.
During the initial proceedings, the Supreme Court emphasized that the Allahabad High Court should not have advanced in this matter, given that a prior directive from the apex court in December 2024 prohibited lower courts from entertaining lawsuits related to religious places.
This December order barred any fresh interventions or definitive rulings regarding disputes over places of worship, particularly mosques and dargahs. It arose from a series of petitions challenging aspects of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, designed to preserve the status quo of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947.
Despite this act, the contentious issue of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid at Ayodhya remains an exception. The Allahabad High Court had earlier dismissed a request from the mosque committee to quash the survey ordered by the Sambhal court, affirming that the appointment of a court commissioner was valid.
The mosque committee’s movement to challenge a November 19, 2024 directive led to this survey. On that date, the civil judge had mandated a survey of the Mughal-era mosque, which was claimed to be built post-demolition of a temple.
This committee stated that a subsequent survey conducted on November 24, 2024, was unlawful since the civil court did not authorize it. The Supreme Court had previously agreed to hear the mosque committee’s plea against the high court’s decision on August 22, 2024.
As part of its ongoing deliberations, the Supreme Court instructed all parties to maintain the status quo while the case is pending. A civil suit filed before the Sambhal senior division contends that the mosque was constructed after demolishing the Harihar temple.
Located in Sambhal, this historic mosque is attributed to Mughal emperor Babur, who is claimed to have built it in 1526. The ongoing legal tussles have raised deep concerns within the local community, prompting the Supreme Court on November 29, 2024, to halt proceedings relating to the mosque and survey, charging the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure peace and harmony in the district.
