'During long vacation, defendants will make every effort to destroy the evidence': Plea before Mathura Court to maintain status quo at Shahi Idgah mosque

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An application has been moved before Mathura Court seeking direction to the defendant parties in the Shri Krishna Janmasthan dispute to maintain the status quo at the Shahi Idgah mosque during the summer vacation of the court.

The plea alleges that after the Gynavapi episode in which alleged Shivling and other Hindu religious symbols have been reported to be found, the defendant parties in this dispute will make every effort to destroy the Hindu religious symbols and remains allegedly present at the Shahi Idgah. "In the interest of justice, these remains, symbols need to be preserved," the plea states.

Manish Yadav, the main plaintiff in the case, which is one of the three lawsuits in the Shri Krishna Janmasthan dispute, filed the application in the Civil Judge Senior Division Court of the Mathura district today. 

The other two suits are the suit filed by Lucknow resident Ranjana Agnihotri as the next friend of child deity Shri Krishna Virajman of the Katra Keshav Dev temple & six others, the suit filed by five other plaintiffs through advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh.

The plea further reads, "The plaintiff has come to know that it has become clear from the Navbharat TB channel's Pathshala program that religious artifacts in the alleged Idgah, ancient rock writings and religious and mythological symbols were illegally suppressed and he has included all these facts in the plaint too...The Gyanvapi case is going on in Varanasi and is getting publicized a lot in the media and Shivling, Kamal and Chak in Gyanvapi have also been found in the alleged Gyanvapi Masjid, due to which the respondents have been furious."

Therefore, apprehending that attempts can be made to destroy the evidence at Shahi Idgah mosque, Yadav has moved the plea.

Recently, Yadav along with Mahendra Pratap Singh had moved a plea before the local court seeking videography of the Shahi Idgah mosque. Similar to the Gyanvapi court-ordered survey commission, they have sought the appointment of an advocate commissioner for conducting the video survey on the Shahi Idgah premises. This plea will be heard on July 1. 

In furtherance of their demand for the survey, Yadav today moved another application requesting the court to send the District Magistrate, Senior Superintendent of Police, Chief Medical Officer, and adequate sanitation personnel at the time of the survey. 

His application states that the presence of the officers is necessary, so that during the survey, whatever assistance is required by the Advocate Commissioner, they can order for the same. 

Yadav has also prayed the court that during the survey, along with the senior advocate commissioner, two other advocate assistant commissioners should also be appointed as the disputed site is 2.37 acres large and it is not possible for a lone commissioner to survey the whole site.

Case Title: Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman v. Sunni Central Waqf Board (Suit no. 152 of 2021)