The Allahabad High
Court on Monday remanded back to a trial court in Mathura the Katra Keshav Dev
Temple-Shahi Masjid Idgah land dispute.
The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board and the
Shahi Masjid Idgah management committee moved the high court for the
adjudication of the matter, saying it had wider implications.
Disposing of their petitions, Justice Prakash Padia
remanded back the matter to the trial court.
A regular civil suit was filed on September 25, 2020
by some devotees before the court of civil judge (senior division) of Mathura
claiming right over a 13.37-acre property adjoining Katra Keshav Dev Temple
which according to them is the birthplace of Lord Krishna and for the removal
of the mosque standing on it.
At the time of the presentation of the suit, the
civil judge (senior division) did not register it as a civil suit and
registered it as a miscellaneous case on the ground that the plaintiffs are not
residents of Mathura.
On May 19 last year, the district judge had directed
the civil judge (senior division) Mathura to decide the case on merit after
hearing the parties.
On Monday, the high
court stated that summons have already been issued by the trial court on May 26
last year for filing the respective written statements and framing of issues
and in light of the above, the petitions are disposed of by remanding the
matter back to the trial court.
It also directed the trial court to adjudicate the
suit after following due procedure as per law without being influenced by any
observation or findings of the district judge vide impugned order dated May 19,
2022.