An appeal has been made before the court of a district judge, Mathura, against a civil court order of September 30 that dismissed a legal suit for the removal of Idgah Masjid, which the plaintiffs claim “was built on the land of Shri Krishna Janambhoomi.”
The district judge’s court has sought the records from the lower court and has fixed October 16 as the date of hearing, said Hari Shankar Jain, counsel for the petitioners.
The petitioners, who belong to other districts, had filed a case seeking removal of the mosque from the site, claiming that it was built after razing a temple by then Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
The plaintiffs have sought a declaration that the land, measuring 13.37 acres, be vested in deity Sri Krishna Virajman.
Earlier, the civil court had dismissed the petition on September 30, after hearing arguments, said Bhagat Singh Arya, additional district government counsel.
The suit claiming ownership of the entire land of 13.37 acres land which is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Sri Krishna, the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was filed on September 25 through the next friend of the child deity, one Ranjana Agnihotri, an advocate and a resident of Lucknow. Six other devotees were also plaintiffs to the suit.
They had sought cancellation of a settlement entered into between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan which is the governing body of the temple complex and the Committee of Management of Trust of Shahi Idgah (Idgah Trust) in 1968.
The suit stated that Lord Shri Krishna was born in a prison of King Kans and the entire area under dispute is known as ‘Katra Keshav Dev’. Katra Keshav Dev is sacred for the devotees of Lord Shri Krishna and the Hindu community. Hindu rulers have always paid homage to the birthplace of Lord Shree Krishna and from time to time they constructed/ renovated temple at the spot, the petition said.
It was submitted that the Idgah Trust with the help of some Muslims encroached upon the land belonging to Shri Krishna Janmasthan Trust and the deity and erected a superstructure at the place.
The birthplace of Lord Krishna lies beneath the structure raised by the trust, the suit added.
