The Court Commissioner, Ramesh Singh Raghav, on Thursday submitted a detailed survey report on Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid to the Chandausi court. The survey, conducted on November 19 and 24, examined the mosque, which is at the centre of a legal dispute over claims that a Harihar temple once stood at the same site.
“The survey was conducted as per the court’s directions, and the complete report, including videography, has been submitted to the Civil Judge Senior Division in a sealed envelope,” Raghav stated.
The report, reportedly 40–45 pages long, follows the Supreme Court’s directives to handle such cases with caution.
The case gained attention after the court ordered a survey of the Mughal-era mosque in November. During the second survey on November 24, violence erupted, leading to the deaths of four individuals and injuries to several others, including police personnel.
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Zia Ur Rahman has been accused of inciting violence, with cases of electricity theft also registered against him. SP President Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of instigating the unrest.
“The BJP government deliberately caused the Sambhal incident, misusing the administration to harm innocent people,” Yadav claimed. He called the BJP a “conspiratorial party” engaged in “negative politics.”
The Supreme Court, on December 12, restrained courts across the country from entertaining new lawsuits or passing interim or final orders regarding claims to reclaim religious places, especially mosques and dargahs. This decision has put the Sambhal case on hold.
The Congress, in its extended Working Committee meeting in Karnataka, condemned the communal tension in Sambhal, accusing the BJP-RSS of stoking unrest for political gain. The party reaffirmed its commitment to the Places of Worship Act, 1991.
“The communal tension in Sambhal and elsewhere is a deliberate ploy by the BJP-RSS for narrow political objectives,” the Congress resolution stated.
