HC Dismisses PIL Seeking To Declare Shahi Idgah Mosque Site As Lord Krishna's Birthplace

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a PIL seeking to declare the site of the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district as Krishna Janambhoomi or the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Pritinkar Diwakar and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava passed the order on Wednesday on the PIL filed by Mahek Maheshwari, an advocate, and others. The bench had earlier reserved its order in the case on September 4.

The PIL has sought the removal of the Shahi Idgah Mosque, alleging it was built on the site of the birthplace of Krishna. The petitioner had asked for the land to be "handed over to the Hindus and a proper trust be formed to build a temple on the Krishna Janmabhoomi Janmasthan land".

In an interim plea, the petitioner had also sought permission for Hindus to worship at the mosque on certain days of the week and during the festival of Janmashtami (Lord Krishna's birthday), till the disposal of the petition. The petitioner had also prayed for a court-monitored excavation of the structure by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Though the court pronounced the order of dismissal on Wednesday, the detailed judgment is still awaited.