Sameer Chotala 
Supreme Court to Hear Mosque Survey Plea
Today, the Supreme Court will hear a plea filed by the Sambhal Jama Masjid Committee challenging a trial court’s order directing a survey of the mosque. The suit alleges that the mosque was constructed after demolishing a pre-existing temple. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar is set to review the matter.
The mosque committee, managing the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi, Sambhal, contended that the survey order was issued hastily by the Civil Judge Junior Division without giving them prior notice. They argue this violates the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which restricts altering the religious character of places of worship as of August 15, 1947.
The committee further highlighted that the mosque, a 16th-century structure protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), has historical and cultural significance. The urgency of the plea stems from concerns over the communal tensions sparked by the survey, which led to violence on November 24, claiming four lives.
The petitioners assert that frequent survey orders on mosques without hearing the defendants risk communal discord and challenge the secular ethos of the nation. They are urging the Supreme Court to establish safeguards to prevent such orders from being routinely issued.
Stay tuned for live updates as the hearing progresses.
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