The ongoing legal proceedings concerning the claim of a Shiva temple located within the premises of Ajmer’s revered Dargah Sharif have been postponed.
A Jaipur civil court, scheduled to hear the matter on Saturday, deferred the case due to the absence of the presiding judicial officer and a mass leave observed by court staff.
Police deployed additional forces outside the Civil Lines Court and police station in anticipation of public sensitivity surrounding the matter. They increased security as a precaution to maintain law and order.
Vishnu Gupta, the National President of Hindu Sena, filed the petition, claiming that a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, known as the Sankat Mochan Shiva Temple, exists within the Dargah complex of Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti.
Gupta, a resident of Delhi, seeks uninterrupted access and rights for Hindu worshippers at the alleged site.
The civil court had accepted Gupta’s petition on 27 November 2024, issuing notices to key respondents, including the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Dargah Committee Ajmer, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Counter Applications & Legal Arguments
Advocate Yogendra Ojha, representing the petitioner, confirmed that the court has officially recorded the applications previously submitted by the Dargah Committee and the Minority Affairs Ministry. The court will debate these applications in the next hearing.
Lawyers representing the Dargah Committee and ASI argued that the petitioner failed to comply with procedural legal requirements before approaching the court. They have submitted requests for dismissal based on these grounds.
Gupta, in response, stated that he intends to present the 13th-century Sanskrit text Prithviraj Vijay, which allegedly references the presence of a Shiva temple in Ajmer. He plans to submit both the original and Hindi-translated versions of the text as evidence.
The petition also references Ajmer, Historical and Descriptive, a 1911 book authored by retired judge Harbilas Sarda.
The book claims that builders used remnants of a Hindu and Jain temple during the construction of the Dargah. Gupta further contends that the site falls outside the purview of the Places of Worship Act, as it qualifies legally as an ‘authorised religious place’.
He has cited legal interpretations presented by Supreme Court advocate Varun Kumar Sena and announced plans to present supporting arguments in court.
Given the sensitivity of the case, Gupta has been granted police protection on the directions of Superintendent of Police Vandita Rana.
Meanwhile, several individuals and organisations, including the Anjuman Committee and Dargah Diwan Ghulam Dastagir, have filed applications seeking to join the case as parties.
The court has now scheduled the matter for further hearing on 30 August 2025.
Also Read: Cash Row: Justice Varma Petitions SC Challenging In-House Probe Report
To read more such news, download Bharat Express news apps
