New Delhi, Apr 1 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere with an Allahabad High Court order directing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to whitewash the exterior walls of the Sambhal Jama Mosque.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar heard the challenge against the High Court’s directive, which required the ASI to carry out the whitewashing of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Chandausi, Sambhal district.
The High order stemmed from an ongoing legal dispute, where a petition claims that the mosque was constructed over a demolished Hindu temple.
Advocate Barun Sinha, representing the petitioner Satish Kumar Aggarwal, argued that the High Court was incorrect in directing the ASI to proceed with the whitewashing.
However, the Supreme Court declined to intervene and dismissed the petition, stating, “We are not inclined to entertain the present petition. Dismissed.”
In March 2025, the Allahabad High Court instructed the ASI to complete the whitewashing process within a week, citing an agreement signed in 1927 between the mosque’s management committee and the ASI.
The court directed that the whitewashing should only be carried out in areas where necessary. Additionally, the mosque committee was ordered to reimburse the ASI for the costs incurred within one week of the work’s completion.
The mosque committee had approached the High Court seeking permission to clean and whitewash the structure ahead of the Ramzan month.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is also reviewing a separate petition filed by the Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid Committee. This petition challenges a trial court order from November 19, 2024, which directed an Advocate Commissioner to conduct a survey of the mosque.
This directive was issued in response to a suit claiming that the Mughal-era mosque was constructed after demolishing an ancient Hindu temple.
The matter remains under judicial scrutiny.
