Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid case: Court to hear plea seeking to ban Namaz and seal the mosque, High Court rejects Muslim side’s plea challenging new survey

The long-running dispute between Shahi Jama Masjid and Harihar Mandir in the Chandausi zone of Sambhal district, Uttar Pradesh, has again gained prominence. A new petition has been filed in the Chandausi court demanding a temporary ban on Namaz in the mosque and seal the site. Notably, Hindu organizations say that the Shahi Jama Masjid was initially the Harihar Mandir.

The court has accepted this petition and fixed the date of 21 July 2025 for hearing. The petition was filed by one Simran Gupta, asking to ban the offering of namaz in the mosque until the survey and legal status of the disputed site is cleared. It has been claimed in the petition that this site was a part of the temple complex and archaeological evidence is also present there.

Simran Gupta argued in the petition that until it is decided whether the place is a temple or a mosque, no religious activity should be allowed. He has also demanded that the mosque be sealed and put under the supervision of the DM till the ASI survey and the court cases are settled.

In the meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court has delivered a crucial verdict allowing survey of the disputed site. The High Court has rejected the petition moved by the Muslim faction, thus affirming the order of the lower (trial) court to survey the controversial site. This ruling allows the way for a new survey of the mosque compound.

Keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, the local authorities and police are alert. Arrangements are being made for the next court-ordered survey, and officials have averred they are determined to keep the process peaceful and unbiased.

Violence during previous survey

The issue made national news last year when riots erupted during the second round of court-ordered survey of the Masjid. A massive crowd had amassed at the location during the process, and tensions rapidly mounted into fighting. Five people lost their lives in the altercation, and a number of police officers were severely injured.

After the violence, 96 individuals were detained, and FIRs were registered against 2,750 unidentified individuals. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was established to investigate the case has now filed a 1,100-page chargesheet in court, identifying 22 individuals as the main accused. Among them is Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq, who has been made the principal accused. Another individual, Suhail Iqbal, has been removed from the chargesheet.

Background of the case

The case initially emerged in December 2023, when a civil suit was lodged in Sambhal Court by four Hindu petitioners, Shankar Giri, Indresh Kumar Gautam, Ramashankar Giri, and Harishankar Giri. They alleged that the Shahi Jama Masjid is erected on the site of a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, which was traditionally referred to as Harihar Mandir.

The petitioners prayed for permission to hold regular worship of gods at the location, a ground survey of mosque premises, and an injunction against Islamic religious activities there. They alleged that traces of Hindu religious architecture, such as stone carvings, idols, and temple-type structures, were apparent within the mosque.

The Civil Judge (Senior Division), Sambhal, in January 2024, ordered a local survey of the site by a court commissioner. But the mosque’s management committee, Anjuman Intezamia Committee, opposed this in the High Court as being illegal and provocative. The court initially ordered a stay on the survey.

This has evoked a call from Hindu factions for the location to be identified as a temple, while the Muslim population insists that the location has been a mosque for centuries. With the court now permitting a fresh survey, all attention is focused on the developments to come and the next hearing.

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