'No Interference With Well Inside Sambhal Jama Masjid': Uttar Pradesh Clarifies In Supreme Court, Cites Claim Over Nearby 'Public' Well

The government of Uttar Pradesh has informed the Supreme Court that the well, which is near the contentious mosque in Sambhal, is in fact "situated on public property," arguing that it "has no relation/connection with the mosque/disputed religious site."

In a status update submitted to the Supreme Court, the state clarified that the well, locally referred to as 'Dharani varah koop', is “situated near and not inside the disputed religious site," Indian Express reported.

The report further said, “Even the disputed religious site is itself situated on public land. It is submitted that the well is a public well and is not situated anywhere inside the mosque/disputed religious site. In fact, there is no access to the subject well from inside the mosque”.

Contentions have arisen between communities regarding the religious site, the Shahi Jama Masjid, an alleged mosque from the Mughal era. The conflict stems from allegations that the mosque was constructed following the demolition of a temple known as Hari Mandir.

Upon hearing an appeal from the mosque management committee, the Supreme Court put a hold on the enforcement of a "notice" on 10 January. This notice, allegedly issued by the Sambhal municipal authorities, concerned a well located next to the mosque.

The mosque committee argued that the public poster, carrying the name of Sambhal Nagar Palika, indicated the well's location at a corner of Hari Mandir. They stated that the water from this well is presently used for mosque activities. The notice was reported by the mosque administration to say, "Puja will now be started (at the site)."

The judiciary had previously requested a progress report from the state administration. After this, "The State/District administration had formed a three-member committee comprising of the SDM Sambhal, Area Officer, Sambhal and the Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Sambhal, to examine the status of well in question."

"Upon examining the records, it was discovered that the petitioner has failed to disclose that there is in fact a well within the boundary walls of the mosque/disputed religious site locally known as ‘Yagna koop’. It is submitted that there has been no interference with the said ‘Yagna koop’. The three-member committee, in its spot inspection, found that the subject Well is situated outside the mosque boundary wall," the report said.

The state alleged that the “petitioner…has annexed misleading photographs attempting to show that the subject well is located inside its premises” and presented to the court “true copies of the photographs depicting the side views of the subject well, which clearly demonstrate that the same is outside the mosque/Disputed religious site…”

The status report added, “It was also found during the inspection that this well was in use since time immemorial by persons of all communities. However, now it has no water and it was further found that after the communal riots of 1978, a police chowki was built on top of one part of the well. The other part continued to be in use even post-1978. It was further found that sometime in 2012, the subject well was covered and at present, there is no water in the well.”