Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah Dispute: Allahabad HC Orders Consolidation Of 15 Suits To Avoid Conflicting Judgments

The Allahabad High Court has directed to consolidate 15 suits related to the Mathura's Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi and the Shahi Idgah Mosque dispute.

Justice Mayank Jain's bench passed the order on Thursday (11 January) on an application filed by the Hindu petitioners.

Up to now, a total of 18 such lawsuits are awaiting trial in the court.

The Hindu plaintiff has submitted that most of the suits contain a common prayers while some have filed the cases seeking possession of the Shahi Idgah premises and demolition of the same.

The counsel representing the Shahi Idgah mosque and Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board had no objection on consolidation of the suits.

The Court maintained that all the suits, ordered to be consolidated, are of similar nature and hence the proceedings in these cases can be taken up and may be decided simultaneously on the basis of common evidence.

“To save the time of the Court, the expenses to be incurred to the parties, and to avoid conflicting judgments it appears expedient in the interest of justice to consolidate the suits with each other,” the Court observed, The Hindu reported.

Additionally, Vishnu Shankar Jain, the advocate for the Hindu plaintiffs, mentioned that on 14 December 2023, the court had ordered to appoint a panel of three advocates as Commission for inspection of the disputed property.

The Court has yet to finalize the composition and modalities of this commission, as the decision was postponed after the defendants' approached the Supreme Court.

The plaintiffs have also moved an application in the court seeking that commission may be headed by a retired High Court Judge and two advocates.

They also requested that certain advocates on behalf of plaintiffs may also be permitted to participate in the proceedings of the commission.

“Since the matter is of urgent nature, therefore, composition and modalities of the commission be laid down today,” the application has said.

The court scheduled the case for 17 January, given the absence of the defendants' advocates.