Mathura court defers hearing in Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi case to Dec 10

The civil suit filed in Mathura district court seeking complete ownership of the entire 13.37 acres of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi land and removal of Shahi Idgah Mosque has been adjourned till December 10. The Mathura court adjourned the matter after Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust failed to appear before the court.

Mathura: The hearing of the civil suit filed in Mathura court seeking ownership of the entire 13.37 acres of Krishna Janmabhoomi land has been adjourned till December 10 after the plaintiff in the case Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust failed to appear before the court on Wednesday.

The Mathura court on October 16 had admitted the plea seeking to remove the mosque, situated adjacent to Krishna Janmabhoomi. The hearing for the same was scheduled for Wednesday.

The Sri Krishna birthplace complex is built on 13.37 acres of land. It has Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Leela Manch, Bhagwat Bhawan and the royal Idgah Mosque, which is spread in one and a half acres of land.

On September 25, five advocates including Supreme Court lawyers Harishankar Jain, Vishnu Shankar Jain and Ranjana Agnihotri had filed a petition in the court regarding the ownership of Sri Krishna’s birthplace.

The petitioners have demanded the removal of the illegally built royal Idgah mosque in the premises. It is worth mentioning here that the District Court had issued summons to the respondent regarding this petition.

It is said that during the British rule, an auction was held in 1815 in which Raja Patni Mal of Benares bought this place.

In 1940, when Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya came to Mathura, he was saddened to see the plight of Lord Krishna’s birthplace.

The locals also requested Madan Mohan Malviya that a grand temple should be built here, following which Malaviya wrote a letter to Mathura industrialist Jugal Kishore Birla for the revival of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi.

It is to be noted that Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust was established on February 21, 1951. On October 12, 1968, a deal was reached over the land of Katra Keshav Dev Temple by Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust. This land was decreed on July 20, 1973.

The advocate had filed a petition in the court seeking the cancellation of the decree.

The suit blamed Mughal ruler Aurangzeb for demolishing a Krishna temple, built at the "birthplace of Lord Shree Krishna at Katra Keshav Dev, Mathura, in the year 1669-70 AD" and raising the "Idgah Mosque" in its place.

The suit sought the removal of encroachment and the superstructure, now maintained by the Committee of Management of Trust Masjid Idgah with the consent of the Sunni central board.

(With inputs from ANI)