Mathura Shahi Idgah Case: Court To Hear Lawsuit For Idgah's Removal On July 20

A fast-track court in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura has fixed July 20 as the next date of hearing in a lawsuit related to the shifting of the Shahi Masjid Idgah from the land of the Katra Keshav Dev temple filed, according to the petitioner's counsel.

The petition was filed by a person named Gopal Baba, a disciple of Naga Baba, last year.

Baba's counsel Deepak Sharma said, "Owing to a no-work call given by the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, the matter was posted for hearing on July 20."

Baba claimed himself to be a disciple of Lord Krishna and filed the suit in the court of the civil judge (senior division) on September 20, 2021 for the shifting of the Shahi Masjid Idgah. The Idgah is constructed on a part of a 13.37-acre land of the Katra Keshav Dev temple.

Subsequently, the suit was transferred to Additional Civil Judge (fast-track court) Neeraj Gaund on the orders of the Mathura district judge, as per Baba's counsel Sharma.

The defendants to the suit are the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf board, the Intezamia Committee, the Shahi Masjid Idgah, the Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan, and the Srikrishna Janmabhumi trust.

So far, 11 suits with almost an identical demand (the shifting of the Shahi Masjid Idgah) have been filed in different courts of Mathura.

The development in Mathura has coincided with legal proceedings in Varanasi where Hindu petitioners are seeking permission for daily prayers before the idols on the outer walls of Gyanvapi Mosque, which is situated close to the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple.

(With PTI inputs)