The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) filed its review on control and management Shahi Jama Masjidheritage protection building. ASI legal representative Vishnu Sharma confirmed the filing of counterarguments on Friday, citing difficulties faced by the mosque committee and local residents while inspecting the site.
Sharma recalled an incident on January 19, 2018, when the mosque’s management committee faced a legal action for unauthorized installation of steel railings. The mosque, designated as a protected monument by ASI in 1920, should be accessible to the public as per ASI guidelines.
ASI says it should retain authority over monument management and structural changes. The organization expressed its concern about unauthorized changes of the management committee, considering such changes to be illegal. A court hearing on this matter is expected in the near future.
On November 24, a court-ordered inspection of the Shahi Jama Mosque in Sambhal led to violent clashes, resulting in four deaths and numerous injuries. A three-member judicial commission is scheduled to visit Sambhal on Sunday to probe the incident.
Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh confirmed that two members of the commission arrived on Saturday and a third member is expected to join on Sunday. The survey was conducted following claims of the former Harihar temple on the site of the mosque.
The commission, set up through a notification dated November 28, has been functioning for a period of two months, the extension of which requires the government’s approval. The commission, headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora along with former officials Amit Mohan Prasad and Arvind Kumar Jain, will investigate whether the violence was spontaneous or deliberate.
Their duties include assessing the preparedness of the police and administration during an incident, studying the factors that led to violence, and suggesting preventive measures in similar situations.