Krishna Janmabhoomi case: Krishna Janmasthan Trust lays claim over disputed property

In a new development in the Krishna Janmabhoomi case, the Krishna Janmasthan Trust laid claim over the disputed property on Thursday.

Amidst the ongoing case between the Krishna janmabhoomi society and the Shahi Idgah committee in Mathura, the Krishna Janmasthan Trust laid claim over the disputed property on Thursday. It said the Uttar Pradesh High Court had recognised the trust’s claim over the disputed property in 1997, so the agreement between the two disputing parties does not hold any ground.

Senior advocate Shailendra Singh told India Today that he has placed the UP High Court's 1997 order in this context before the Mathura court.

A petition was filed on May 17 by lawyers and law students asking for the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque claiming that it was built at the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The petition further said the entire property must be handed over to the trust. The hearing for the petition will take place on May 31.

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Meanwhile, advocate Shailendra Singh has also submitted an application in the Lucknow High Court, appealing that the various cases regarding the dispute between the Krishna Janmabhoomi and the Shahi Idgah be unified into one suit.

Advocate Shailendra Singh said that in 1996, the Krishna janmabhoomi society went to the high court asserting its title claim over the disputed property. On September 23, 1997, the high court ruled that the title to the disputed land belongs to the Krishna Janmasthan Trust and not the Krishna janmabhoomi society.

Tanvir Ahmed, the lawyer representing the Mathura Shahi Idgah Trust, said that since 1968, no local or outside person has made any objection about the Idgah. He added that it is only since 2020 that outsiders have continuously raised dispute after dispute in the courts.