'Well Located On Public Land Near Disputed Sambhal Mosque', UP Govt Tells Supreme Court

The Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court that the well near Sambhal’s Shahi Jama Masjid is public property and not part of the mosque. In a status report submitted on Monday, the state government stated that claims linking the well to the mosque were false. The well is among 19 ancient wells slated for restoration by the district administration.

The legal dispute over Shahi Jama Masjid stems from claims that it was originally a Harihar temple. The Supreme Court had earlier put an interim stay on lower court proceedings in the case. Meanwhile, the mosque committee has filed a petition against the excavation and search for ancient wells in Sambhal, particularly seeking to maintain the status quo for the well near the mosque. The committee argued that any excavation and claims of it being a temple’s well would lead to the commencement of religious activities at the site.

On 10 January, the Supreme Court had stayed a municipal notification that referred to the well near the mosque as a temple well. The matter is set for further hearing on 25 February, and the apex court had sought a status report from the Uttar Pradesh government.