SC rejects plea against Allahabad HC order on Sambhal mosque whitewashing

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea challenging an Allahabad High Court order that asked the Archaeological Survey of India to whitewash the Mughal-era Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district.

The high court had on March 12 asked the ASI to undertake and complete the whitewashing of the mosque within a week.

"We are not inclined to entertain the present petition. Dismissed," ordered a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar.

Appearing for appellant Satish Kumar Aggarwal, Lawyer Barun Sinha assailed the high court's order, saying the ASI was wrongly asked to whitewash the wall of the mosque.

In his order, HC judge Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal had said, "The ASI shall undertake the whitewashing work and complete the same within a period of one week from today. Further, no extra lighting shall be put on the walls, as it may cause damage to the monuments, but exterior lights in the shape of focus lights/LED lights may be used by the ASI for lighting of the outer area of the alleged Masjid.

"The expenditure incurred in the whitewashing shall be borne by the Masjid Committee, and the same shall be reimbursed within one week after the completion of whitewashing work," he had said.

The high court had earlier directed the counsel appearing for the ASI to come up with specific averments as to what prejudice would whitewashing of the outer walls of the mosque cause.

Prior to this, a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque was undertaken and it led to the violence at Sambhal last year.