K’taka court quashes petition of Malali mosque management

In a major development, a Karnataka court on Wednesday quashed the petition submitted by the Malali Mosque management to dismiss the application demanding survey of the mosque.

The Third Additional Civil Court hearing the case in its verdict also stated that the case could be tried in the civil court. The Malali mosque management committee had challenged a petition filed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and sought to quash it.

The mosque management also claimed that the Malali Masjid stands on the property belonging to the Waqf Board and any dispute in this regard must be heard in Waqf-related court. However, the court dismissed these arguments.

The hearing of the VHP’s petition demanding the appointment of a court commissioner on lines of Gyanvapi Masjid will be taken up on January 8, 2023.

The VHP welcomed the verdict. Its leader Sharan Pumpwell stated that the issue could be resolved amicably if the management of the mosque agreed. “The matter would be pursued legally to build a temple on the site of the disputed masjid,” he stated.

Hindu organisations had earlier submitted a petition demanding the survey of the mosque on the lines of Gyanvapi mosque in Uttar Pradesh. This came after the surfacing of a Hindu temple structure at the time of renovation of the mosque.

Challenging this, the management of the mosque and Muslim organisations argued that the court did not have the jurisdiction to look into the matter. The court was supposed to deliver the judgment in this regard on Monday.

Earlier, the Karnataka local court had reserved for November 9 in Dakshina Kannada district of the state. The Third Additional Civil Court in Mangaluru, after reserving the orders had then directed that status quo to be maintained in the premises of the masjid.The state police department had beefed up the security in the region in the communally sensitive coastal region.

(IANS)