Krishna Janmabhoomi case: Allahabad HC dismisses mosque committee's plea to recall consolidation order

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 23 (ANI): The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea by the Shahi Idgah Mosque committee to recall its January 11, 2024 order, which consolidated all suits filed by Hindu devotees related to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura.
Justice Mayank Kumar Jain dismissed the plea. The recall petition concerned 15 cases, and the court had reserved its decision on the matter on October 16.
On January 11, a single judge had directed the consolidation of 15 suits related to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute. This decision, made 'in the interest of justice,' was based on an application filed by Hindu plaintiffs under Order IV-A of the Civil Procedure Code.
The court also stated that the routine hearing of the case will be held on November 6.
In their petition, the Shahi Idgah Mosque committee argued that consolidating the Hindu cases would deprive them of the right to contest each one individually. However, the lawyer representing the Hindu devotees argued that combining the cases would not affect the mosque committee's right to oppose them.
The lawyer further stated that the court has the discretion to consolidate cases, and this decision cannot be changed by any party.
The court had previously decided to combine the cases in its August 1 order, and no objections have been raised about this so far. The court is currently hearing an application that involves 18 cases filed by Hindu devotees.
On August 1, Justice Jain had also rejected applications from the Shahi Idgah Mosque committee challenging the maintainability of the cases filed by the opposing party.
The dispute revolves around the location of the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura, which was reportedly built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb after demolishing a temple at the birthplace of Lord Krishna. (ANI)