Mathura court reserves order on admissibility of civil suit seeking removal of mosque

A court has reserved its judgment on the admissibility of a a fresh civil suit seeking the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque and ownership of a 13.37-acre land surrounding the Katra Keshav Dev temple.

"Additional District and Sessions Judge Dev Kant Shukla, after hearing the plea presented on behalf of plaintiff Pawan Kumar Shastri, the sevayat of the Old Keshav Dev temple, has reserved the judgment on the admissibility of the suit and would pronounce the judgment on Saturday," advocate Rama Shankar Bharadwaj, the counsel for Shashtri, said.

The suit was presented on February 2 in the court of Civil Judge Chhaya Sharma. However, since the judge was on leave on Thursday, it was heard by Additional District Judge Shukla, he said.

An annulment of a 1968 court order ratifying a land deal between the Shahi Masjid Idgah management committee and the Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan has been requested in the suit.

Shashtri said the court has also been requested to issue an order for party nos 1 and 2 (secretary, Intazamia committee, Shahi Masjid Idgah and president, Sunni Waqf Board, Lucknow), directing them to remove the Shahi Masjid Idgah from a part of land of the temple within a stipulated time.