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Tag: Mathura

  • Krishna Janmabhoomi dispute: Allahabad HC asks Mathura court to transfer all petitions to it

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In a turn of events, the Allahabad High Court, on Friday, transferred all the suits related to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute pending in the lower court of Mathura, to itself.

    The High Court directed the Mathura lower court to transfer all cases along with the relevant records to High Court within the next two weeks.

    The High Court, on May 3, had reserved the order over a petition seeking transfer of the case, in which the Hindus had claimed the right over the land on which the Shahi Masjid Idgah is built, to the High Court from Mathura lower court.

    The single judge bench of Allahabad High Court, comprising Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra-I, allowed the transfer application moved by the Hindus including Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev Khewat, Mathura, through lawyer Ranjana Agnihotri and seven others.

    “The instant transfer application is allowed…Let the District Judge, Mathura prepare a list of all such cases of similar nature involving the subject matter and touching upon its periphery, expressly or by implication include particulars of such cases and these suits/cases along with the record, as above, shall be duly forwarded to this Court within two weeks and the same shall stand transferred to this court in the exercise of suo motu powers of this Court,” the Court ordered.

    The respondents in the case include the Management Committee of Shahi Masjid Idgah, Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi Trust, Katra Keshav Dev, and Shri Krishna Jamna Sthan Sewa Sansthan.

    The transfer plea filed by advocates Vishnu Shankar Jain, Prabhash Pandey and Pradeep Kumar Sharma claimed that the issues involved in the suits pending before the Mathura court concerned crores of devotees of Lord Krishna and the matter was of national importance, hence it should be heard in the High Court.

    The petitioners had also claimed in the application seeking transfer of the cases that the suits pending before the Mathura court could conveniently be heard in the High Court as there were substantial questions of law involved and also those related to the interpretation of the Constitution of India.

    The petitioners had highlighted that following the initial suit being filed before the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) in Mathura, a number of suits were filed copying the initial plea’s contents verbatim. All those suits were of similar nature and the subject matter as well as relief sought in these cases was similar.

    While hearing the petition, the High Court referred to Section 24(1)(b) of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) to note that as per the said provision, the suit pending in the subordinate court could be withdrawn and transferred to Court to which the application was made and that it was the High Court which was competent to hear and dispose of the same.

    Advocates Punit Kumar Gupta, Birendra Prasad Maurya, Devid Kumar Singh, Kamlesh Narayan Pandey, Nasiruzzaman, Prateek Rai, Radheshyam Yadav and Varun Singh represented the respondents.

    LUCKNOW: In a turn of events, the Allahabad High Court, on Friday, transferred all the suits related to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute pending in the lower court of Mathura, to itself.

    The High Court directed the Mathura lower court to transfer all cases along with the relevant records to High Court within the next two weeks.

    The High Court, on May 3, had reserved the order over a petition seeking transfer of the case, in which the Hindus had claimed the right over the land on which the Shahi Masjid Idgah is built, to the High Court from Mathura lower court.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The single judge bench of Allahabad High Court, comprising Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra-I, allowed the transfer application moved by the Hindus including Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev Khewat, Mathura, through lawyer Ranjana Agnihotri and seven others.

    “The instant transfer application is allowed…Let the District Judge, Mathura prepare a list of all such cases of similar nature involving the subject matter and touching upon its periphery, expressly or by implication include particulars of such cases and these suits/cases along with the record, as above, shall be duly forwarded to this Court within two weeks and the same shall stand transferred to this court in the exercise of suo motu powers of this Court,” the Court ordered.

    The respondents in the case include the Management Committee of Shahi Masjid Idgah, Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi Trust, Katra Keshav Dev, and Shri Krishna Jamna Sthan Sewa Sansthan.

    The transfer plea filed by advocates Vishnu Shankar Jain, Prabhash Pandey and Pradeep Kumar Sharma claimed that the issues involved in the suits pending before the Mathura court concerned crores of devotees of Lord Krishna and the matter was of national importance, hence it should be heard in the High Court.

    The petitioners had also claimed in the application seeking transfer of the cases that the suits pending before the Mathura court could conveniently be heard in the High Court as there were substantial questions of law involved and also those related to the interpretation of the Constitution of India.

    The petitioners had highlighted that following the initial suit being filed before the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) in Mathura, a number of suits were filed copying the initial plea’s contents verbatim. All those suits were of similar nature and the subject matter as well as relief sought in these cases was similar.

    While hearing the petition, the High Court referred to Section 24(1)(b) of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) to note that as per the said provision, the suit pending in the subordinate court could be withdrawn and transferred to Court to which the application was made and that it was the High Court which was competent to hear and dispose of the same.

    Advocates Punit Kumar Gupta, Birendra Prasad Maurya, Devid Kumar Singh, Kamlesh Narayan Pandey, Nasiruzzaman, Prateek Rai, Radheshyam Yadav and Varun Singh represented the respondents.

  • Dalit girl gang-raped, strangled in village in Mathura

    By PTI

    MATHURA: A 14-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly strangled to death after gang rape in a village under Mahavan Police Station area of Mathura district.

    According to Police, the girl had gone to a forest area near her house to relieve herself at around 8.30 pm Friday night. She had taken her nine-year-old sister with her.

    Three men of the village caught the girl there and allegedly gang-raped her, and strangled her to death later, they said. Her younger sister somehow managed to escape from there and told her family about the incident.

    When they heard about it, the family along with other villagers began a search for the girl and ended up apprehending two men.

    Superintendent of Police Rural Trigun Bisen who visited the spot pacified the agitated villagers and took Deshraj and Yogendra, the two men caught by the villagers, into custody.

    Police are now conducting raids in search of the third accused, Sachin, who is on the run.Deputy Superintendent of Police Alok Singh said prima facie it appears that the girl was killed after rape.

    An FIR has been lodged and police are investigating the matter.

    MATHURA: A 14-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly strangled to death after gang rape in a village under Mahavan Police Station area of Mathura district.

    According to Police, the girl had gone to a forest area near her house to relieve herself at around 8.30 pm Friday night. She had taken her nine-year-old sister with her.

    Three men of the village caught the girl there and allegedly gang-raped her, and strangled her to death later, they said. Her younger sister somehow managed to escape from there and told her family about the incident.

    When they heard about it, the family along with other villagers began a search for the girl and ended up apprehending two men.

    Superintendent of Police Rural Trigun Bisen who visited the spot pacified the agitated villagers and took Deshraj and Yogendra, the two men caught by the villagers, into custody.

    Police are now conducting raids in search of the third accused, Sachin, who is on the run.Deputy Superintendent of Police Alok Singh said prima facie it appears that the girl was killed after rape.

    An FIR has been lodged and police are investigating the matter.

  • Mathura court directed for speedy disposal of plea for deputing advocate to survey Shahi Idgah mosque

    By PTI

    MATHURA: An additional district judge here on Thursday directed a lower court for speedy disposal of a plea for appointing a court commissioner to survey the Shahi Idgah mosque and verify the claims of temple’s signs in it.

    The petitioners moved the court of additional district judge with a revision application after the lower court of civil judge (senior division) on May 23 asked Shahi Idgah mosque’s management committee and others to file their objections to a plea seeking survey of the mosque and fixed July 1 as the next date of hearing on the reopening of courts after summer vacation.

    “Revision application was disposed of with the direction for the lower court to dispose of the plea regarding sending an advocate commissioner to the mosque on a day-to-day basis from next hearing,” District Government Counsel Sanjai Gaur said.

    Rajendra Maheshwari, the counsel for the petitioners of the suit, said, “Lower court of civil judge (senior division) has also been directed by Additional District Judge Sanjai Chaudhari (in-charge district judge for appeal and revision) not to delay hearing of the application pertaining to sending an advocate commissioner (to mosque). The application was submitted by Delhi-based Jai Bhagwan Goyal and four others.”

    The petitioners had filed an application in the court of Civil Judge (senior division) Jyoti Singh on May 23 for sending an advocate commissioner to survey Shahi Idgah Masjid complex claiming presence of temple marks in the mosque, Maheshwari said.

    The court instead of disposing of the application filed under urgency clause, had set July 1 for next date of hearing, the petitioners’ counsel said.

    Aggrieved by the decision, the petitioners moved a revision application against the order of civil judge (senior division) in the court of District Judge Mathura, who transferred the application in the court of ADJ (7th) on Thursday, Maheshwari said.

    In the revision application, the order of lower court was termed defective since the urgency clause mentioned in the application was not considered, the counsel said.

    The lower court is hearing a bunch of suits for the removal of Shahi Idgah Masjid from near the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in the Katra Keshav Dev Temple complex and subsequent interim applications for appointing a court commissioner to survey the mosque.

    The petitioners have sought the mosque’s survey, claiming the existence of several signs of temples, like those of “om, swastika and lotus” inside it besides its alleged “Hindu architecture”.

    The pleas have been filed by deity Thakur Keshav Dev Ji Maharaj virajman (in-situ) in its capacity as a juristic person, represented by advocates Mahendra Pratap Singh and Rajendra Maheshwari as its “next friend”, among others.

    The other petitioners included United Hindu Front founder Jai Bhagwan Goyal, a Delhi resident, and Vrindavan’s Dharm Raksha Sangh president Saurabh Gaur.

    The suits filed by Singh and others in December 2020 list Shahi Idgah Masjid’s Intezamia committee’s secretary, president/chairman of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, Srikrishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan’s secretary and Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust as respondents.

  • Hindu Mahasabha seeks ‘purification’ of Mathura’s Shahi Idgah mosque, files plea

    By IANS

    MATHURA: Amid legal battle over Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, another land dispute of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Idgah Masjid is unfolding in Mathura with Hindu Mahasabha on Monday filing a plea in the civil court to seek the ‘purification’ of the Shahi Idgah mosque. The plea will be heard on July 1.

    The Shahi Idgah Masjid stands next to the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi.

    Dinesh Sharma, treasurer of Hindu Mahasabha, has claimed in the plea that the Idgah mosque is built on the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Krishna janmabhoomi. He has asked permission to enter the Shahi Idgah mosque to perform ‘Abhishek’ (purification) and worship of Lord Krishna at the disputed site of the ancient temple.

    ALSO READ: Amid Gyanvapi row, now plea seeks injunction against prayers at Mathura mosque

    Dinesh Sharma said, “They first attacked our temples by the might of the swords, but now we will take back the ancient heritage. We want the mosque to be removed and Hindus’ self-respect to be restored.”

    Earlier, the court admitted the petition of Shri Krishna Virajman in Mathura. The matter will be heard in the lower court on May 26. The petition has demanded the release of 2.37 acres of land on which Shahi Idgah mosque exists.

    The dispute essentially involves ownership of 13.37 acres of land which, the petitioners claim belongs to the deity Lord Shri Krishna. The Shahi Idgah Masjid is built on 2.37 acres of the total 13.37 acres of land.

    Tanveer Ahmed, secretary of the Shahi Idgah Masjid Committee, said, “When the matter comes up for hearing, we will put up our side. The civil court is not assessing the Places of Worship Act, 1991 or is not able to take a view. The law of the country is the same for everyone.”

    “There can’t be a more harmonious sight in Mathura, that on one side is the Idgah and on the other side is the Shri Krishna temple. Hindus worship in the temple, while Muslims offer namaz in the mosque. There is no problem to anyone,” he said.

  • Ask devotees to strictly follow Covid guidelines: Mathura admin to temples

    By PTI

    MATHURA: The Mathura district administration on Monday directed temple authorities to ensure that devotees follow COVID-19 guidelines in the wake of rising cases in the neighbouring districts.

    A large number of devotees are coming to Mathura every day from the Delhi-NCR region. Their numbers reach thousands, especially during weekends, District Magistrate Navneet Singh Chahal said.

    In such a situation, it is very important to follow Covid appropriate behaviour like the use of masks and social distancing. Along with cleanliness in temples, sanitisation work should also be done regularly, he said. “Devotees should be asked to strictly follow the COVID-19 guidelines,” Chahal asserted.

    The order comes after a mother-son duo tested positive for the virus after they returned from a function in Ghaziabad. Mathura Covid cell in-charge Bhudev Singh said the duo has been isolated at their home.

    On Sunday, 213 COVID-19 positive cases were found in Uttar Pradesh, with Gautam Buddh Nagar reporting the maximum 98 cases followed by 56 in Ghaziabad, 15 in Agra and 10 cases in Lucknow.

  • Following UP govt order, loudspeaker on Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura goes silent

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Following the UP government’s directives issued in connection with the use of loudspeakers in places of worship, the loudspeaker mounted on the spire of the Shree Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura went silent on Wednesday, while the Gautam Budhh Nagar police served notices on around 900 religious places, including temples and mosques over the use of loudspeakers. Moreover, BJP MLA from Aligarh city Mukta Raja wrote a letter to the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) seeking details of loudspeakers mounted at mosques.

    The loudspeaker mounted on the spire of Shree Krishna Janmabhoomi temple used to play Manglacharan Aarti daily from 5:30 am to 6:30 am. Now in compliance with the state government directive that the sound of the loudspeaker should be limited to the premises and that it should not go out to the inconvenience of others, the temple management switched off the loudspeaker mounted on the temple.

    According to the secretary of Shree Krishna Janmasthan Sewa Sansthan, Kapil Sharma, the decision to switch the loudspeaker off was taken at a meeting of the office bearers of the Sansthan on Tuesday night.

    Sharma said that now the bhajans were being played on low sound on speakers inside the temple respecting CM Yogi Adityanath’s directives.

    Following the directives issued by Police Commissioner Alok Singh, Gautam Budhh Nagar police officials checked with temples, mosques, and other places of worship, banquet halls and DJ operators to ensure the compliance of state government instructions regarding the use of loudspeakers.

    These places were also asked to comply with High Court norms regarding sound amplification devices, a police spokesperson said. “Notices were served on 602 temples out of 621, 265 mosques out of 268, 16 other religious places as well as 217wedding halls and 175 DJ operators,” the police spokesperson of Gautam Buddh Nagar said.

    Amid incidents of violence during festivals in some states, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued directives that no religious procession should be allowed without permission and the use of loudspeakers should not cause inconvenience to others.

    Meanwhile, in a letter written to ADM, BJP Aligarh MLA Mukta Raja asked how many mosques had loudspeakers. Raja also asked the ADM about the intensity of the loudspeakers installed at the mosques and if they were in consonance with court directives.

    The Aligarh MLA asked the ADM to conduct physical examination of the loudspeakers.

    The MLA asked whether the ‘azaan’ in the mosques before 5 in the morning is in accordance with the directions of the court. “If not then what action has been taken so far about this?” added the letter.

    According to the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, loudspeakers should not be operated after 10 pm and before 6 am and they should be fitted with a ‘sound limiter’.

  • Petitioners fined Rs 250 for seeking removal of Shahi Idgah mosque near Mathura’s Krishna temple

    By PTI

    MATHURA (UTTAR PRADESH): A Mathura court hearing a plea for shifting the Shahi Idgah mosque from near the Lord Krishna’s Katra Keshav Dev temple here, has imposed a fine of Rs 250 on its petitioners for seeking an adjournment of the proceeding.

    Civil Judge (Senior Division) Jyoti Singh imposed the fine on Friday, ADGC Civil Sanjai Gaur said on Saturday. The judge imposed the fine as petitioners’ counsel Mahendra Pratap Singh sought a deferment on hearing of arguments on the maintainability of the plea.

    Singh, who has moved the court on behalf of the deity as its “next friend” for removal of the mosque, had first sought adjudication of his five applications related to the suit for the removal of the mosque.

    Besides advocate Singh, who has filed the plea, also claiming to be a descendant of “Brijwasi” Lord Krishna, there are four other petitioners, including the deity, Virajman Thakur Keshav Dev Ji Maharaj Katra Keshav Dev.

    The three other petitioners are advocate Rajendra Maheshwari of Jagannathpuri, Mathura, the United Hindu Front founder Jay Bhagwan Goyal, a Delhi resident and Vrindavan’s Dharm Raksha Sangh president Saurabh Gaur.

    A deity is considered to be a juristic person with all the rights of a normal individual, including the right to sue and be sued, and a deity is represented in court by what is known as its “next friend”. Explaining the implication of the court ruling, advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh said the fine may not be deemed to be imposed on the deity but only other petitioners, including himself.

    He, however, pointed out that in accordance with various Supreme Court rulings, just as various deities are entitled to acquire properties, they are liable to pay taxes as well. The joint plea was filed against the secretary of the Shahi Idgah Masjid’s ‘intezamia’ (management) committee, the president of the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board and the secretary of the Srikrishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan.

    It has been claimed in the suit that the Shahi Idgah Masjid has been built on a part of the 13.37-acre land of the Katra Keshav Dev temple. As the proceeding began on Friday, advocate Tanveer Ahmad, appearing for the mosque’s management committee, sought the court to begin hearing on the maintainability of the suit.

    Advocate Singh, however, sought deferment of arguments on the maintainability, contending that the court should first decide his eight other applications related to the suit. On a written request by Singh for the adjournment, the court did defer the hearing to April 19 but imposed a fine of Rs 250 on the petitioners.

  • Krishna Janmabhoomi row: HC restores plea seeking removal of Mathura’s Shahi Idgah mosque

    By PTI

    PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has restored a petition seeking the removal of Mathura’s Shahi Idgah Mosque, which is claimed to be built on Krishna Janambhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

    The main petition was dismissed in default on January 19, 2021, as the petitioner appeared in person and not through a lawyer. The application for restoration was filed immediately thereafter.

    In an order on February 17, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Prakash Padia restored the plea on grounds that the application to restore it was filed without any delay.

    “For the reason stated in the application, the same is allowed. Order dated January 19, 2021, dismissing the main petition in default is recalled. Let the main petition be now listed as per roster on July 25, 2022,” the court said.

    Earlier in 2020, a Mathura court had dismissed a plea seeking the removal of the mosque.

    ALSO READ | 10-sq-km area around Krishna Janmabhoomi now a pilgrimage site; liquor, non-veg sale banned

    A group of people had moved the Mathura court over the 17th-century mosque they claim was built at the birthplace of Lord Krishna, within the 13.37-acre premises of the Katra Keshav Dev temple.

    The suit had demanded the annulment of an earlier Mathura court ruling, ratifying a land deal reached between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and the Shahi Idgah Management Committee on the mosque.

    The suit was filed on behalf of child deity Bhagwan Shrikrishna Virajman, through the “next friend” Ranjana Agnihotri and seven others.

    Next friend is a legal term for a person who represents someone directly unable to maintain a suit.

    The petition had named the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board; Shahi Masjid Idgah Trust; Shri Krishna Janambhoomi Trust; and Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan as defendants.

    The plaintiffs sought an order directing the mosque management to “remove the construction raised by them encroaching upon the land within the area of the Katra Ksehav Dev temple”.

    The plea demanded prohibitory injunctions restraining the defendants, their workers, supporters, men, attorneys and every person acting under them from entering the premises.

  • Section 144 imposed in Mathura

    By PTI

    MATHURA: Apprehending “unlawful activities” in the district, prohibitory orders under Section 144 were promulgated here with immediate effect, top district authorities on Friday said.

    “Prohibitory orders will remain in force till March 12,” Navneet Singh Chahal, District Magistrate Mathura said.

    He said the orders have been imposed under apprehension of unlawful activities during festivals of different communities and few competitive examinations scheduled to take place.

  • Section 144 imposed in Mathura after Mahasabha threat to install Lord Krishna idol in mosque

    By PTI

    MATHURA: The Mathura district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 following an announcement by the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha that it will install a Lord Krishna idol at the deity’s “actual birthplace”, which it claims is in a mosque close to a prominent temple here.

    “Nobody will be allowed to disturb the peace and tranquillity in Mathura,” District Magistrate Navneet Singh Chahal said.

    The clampdown comes even as another right wing organisation, the Narayani Sena, has said it will take out a march from Vishram Ghat to Sri Krishna Janmasthan, demanding the “removal” of the mosque.

    Section 144 of the CrPC prohibits the assembly of four or more people in an area.

    Police said they have detained Narayani Sena secretary Amit Mishra in Mathura Kotwali, while the outfit claimed its national president Manish Yadav has been detained in Lucknow.

    Chahal said he, along with Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Grover, reviewed the security around both the religious places, the Katra Keshav Dev temple and the Shahi Idgah.

    He said the Mahasabha had requested permission to install the idol at the mosque but it was turned down.

    Question of granting permission to any event that may potentially disrupt peace does not arise, Chahal added.

    Hindu Mahasabha leader Rajyashri Choudhary had earlier said her organisation will install the idol of Lord Krishna in the Shahi Idgah after a “maha jalabhishek” to “purify” the place on December 6.

    The date marks the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the site of a temple-mosque dispute, in 1992.

    The Mahasabha’s threat to perform the ritual inside the Shahi Idgah comes at a time when the local courts are hearing a series of petitions seeking the “removal” of the 17th century mosque.