SC declines to stay Allahabad HC ruling on Krishna Janmabhoomi case, next hearing in November

The Supreme Court will hear the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in November, following a challenge by the Muslim side against a single bench decision of the Allahabad High Court. In today’s proceedings, the Supreme Court did not pass any new directives but instructed the Muslim petitioners to first clarify whether they plan to appeal the single bench's decision in a double bench of the Allahabad High Court.

The Allahabad High Court's decision from August allowed 15 suits filed by Hindu groups to proceed. These groups claim that the Shahi Idgah Mosque is built over the ruins of a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. They cite features such as lotus carvings and motifs resembling the ‘sheshnag,’ a serpent deity in Hindu mythology, as evidence.

In response, the Shahi Idgah Intezamia Committee, which manages the mosque, disputes the validity of these petitions, arguing that the Places of Worship Act of 1991 protects the mosque’s current status. This Act maintains the religious status of all places of worship as they stood on August 15, 1947.

The long-standing land dispute dates back to 1968, when a land agreement was reached between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and the Shahi Masjid Idgah Trust, dividing the property between the Krishna Janmabhoomi and the mosque.

The Supreme Court has set the first week of November for the next hearing, pending the decision of the petitioners on whether to appeal in the double bench.