Budaun , 21 April

A fast-track court on Monday set 28 May to hear a case between the Nilkanth Mahadev Temple and the Shamsi Jama Masjid, after a new judge sought to review the case file before proceeding.

Judge Pushpendra Chaudhary said he would review the case file before proceeding further.

The judge, who recently took charge of the fast-track court and set the new date of hearing, said he hadn't reviewed the case documents and needed time to go through the case file before any argument was made or he took a decision.

Advocate Ved Prakash Sahu, representing the temple committee, said the judge would determine whether to restart the arguments or proceed from where the previous arguments were concluded, once he had examined the file.

The case, pending before the civil judge (senior division), saw several adjournments in the past due to the non-appearance of the counsel representing the Shamsi Jama Masjid’s Intazamiya Committee, despite repeated court summons.

On 20 March, advocate Anwar Alam, representing the mosque committee, appeared before the court and submitted a prayer citing a Supreme Court directive that subordinate courts couldn't adjudicate such matters. Subsequently, previous judge Judge Amit Kumar fixed 2 April for hearing but following his transfer to Bhadohi and no new appointment at the time, the court was vacant, and the matter was adjourned again to 21 April.

In 2022, Mukesh Patel, the then convenor of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, claimed the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple existed at the Jama Masjid Shamsi mosque site and sought permission to worship in the structure.

The litigation stems from the claim.