[Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Dispute] Allahabad HC appoints Senior Advocate Manish Goel amicus curiae

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Synopsis

Court said that since several applications of the parties, pertaining to their respective suits, are pending for consideration, therefore, assistance of an amicus curiae is required

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday appointed amicus curiae to assist the court in dealing with several applications of the parties pertaining to their respective suits over Mathura's Krishna Janmabhoomi and Shahi Idgah mosque dispute. 

The bench of Justice Mayank Kumar Jain appointed Senior Advocate Manish Goel as the amicus curiae and asked the office to inform him the same and provide him the relevant records.

The court is seized with a total of 18 suits pertaining to the dispute. It has already consolidated 15 suits to be heard together. 

On the last date of hearing on January 11, court had allowed an adjournment till today in the hearing on the modalities and composition of the commission, which will inspect Mathura's Shahi Idgah mosque.

Justice Jain had decided so in view of an application moved by the counsel for U.P. Sunni Central Waqf Board, Lucknow stating that since his father had recently passed away, he was unable to attend the court. 

On the same day, court had decided that since the relief claimed in many of the pending suits concerning the janmbhoomi and mosque were similar on the set of facts which were mentioned in the plaint of Original Suit No. 1 of 2023, therefore, the suits could be consolidated.

Therefore, to save time and the expenses to be incurred by the parties, and also to avoid conflicting judgments, the court had decided to consolidate 15 suits with each other.

Court had ordered that Original Suit No. 1 of 2023 Bhagwan Shri Krishan Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev Khewat No. 255 and others Vs. U.P. Sunni Central Waqf Board through Chairman and others will be the leading case in the matter. 

The matter will be next heard on January 30, 2024.

The suits before the court are related to 13.37 acre land at Katra, Keshav Dev. The main relief sought through the suits is a direction for removal of the mosque from the land in question.

A claim has been made by many devotees of Lord Krishna that the Shahi Idgah Mosque is built over the land belonging to the deity and the actual birthplace of Lord Krishna lies beneath it.

It has been alleged that the 13.37 acres of land, which also includes the mosque area, is the Krishna Janmbhoomi land, and, the illegal structure was raised by Muslims over it.

Case Title: Bhagwan Shrikrishna Virajman At Katra Keshav Dev Khewat No. 255 And 7 Others v. U.P. Sunni Central Waqf Board And 3 Others