New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the railways and the Uttar Pradesh government to maintain a status quo in connection with the demolition drive being carried out by railway authorities to clear alleged illegal constructions near the Krishna Janmabhoomi in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Aniruddha Bose, and also comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and SVN Bhatti, passed the order of status quo and also issued notice to the Centre and others in the matter. The apex court will further hear the matter after one week.
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The Indian Railways authorities said the demolitions were part of the anti-encroachment drive to make the land free for converting the narrow gauge from Mathura to Vrindavan to broad gauge. The demolition drive was being carried out by railway authorities to clear alleged illegal constructions near the Krishna Janmabhoomi in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura.
“The status quo has been ordered for next 10 days. A notice has been issued to Railways and Uttar Pradesh government,” the Supreme Court bench said, in its order.
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Earlier, the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Mukti Nirman Trust had moved the apex court on August 14, Monday against the Allahabad high court’s dismissal of its request for a survey of the premises of the Shahi Idgah mosque that neighbours the Mathura Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple.
The lawyer, appearing for the petitioner Yakub Shah, told the bench that 100 houses have been bulldozed. “There are around 70-80 houses left. Whole thing will become infructuous. They conducted the exercise on a day when Uttar Pradesh courts were closed,” Shah said.
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After hearing this, the Apex Court said, “Let there be status quo as regards the subject premises for a period of 10 days. List the matter after one week.”
