Mathura, Oct 12 (UNI) The district judge of Mathura has fixed October 16 as the next date of hearing in the civil suit demanding removal of the Shahi Eidgah Mosque near the Shree Krishna Janambhoomi.

Earlier on September 30, Civil Judge , senior division , Chaya Sharma had rejected the plea after hearing the petitioners saying that the civil suit did not have any merit.

But on Monday, the district judge Ms Sadhna Thakur heard the arguments of the petitioners and posted the case for next hearing on October 16.

A group of 8 lawyers had moved a civil suit in the court for removal of a mosque claiming that it was allegedly built on orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1669-70 at the exact birthplace of Lord Sree Krishna within the 13.37-acre premises of Katra Keshav Dev temple in the holy city.

The petition also demanded the annulment of a 1968 Mathura court ruling, ratifying a land deal reached between the Shree Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and Shahi Idgah Management Committee, perpetuating the existence of the mosque within the temple premises.

The petition was filed by Lucknow resident and lawyer Ranjana Agnihotri and seven others last month, including Delhi resident Parvesh Kumar, Rajesh Mani Tripathi of Siddharth Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Karunesh Kumar Shukla of Basti, and Shivaji Singh and Tripurari Tiwari, both of Lucknow.

Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain in a petition filed in a Mathura court said the agreement between Sree Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and Shahi Idgah Management Committee in 1968 is completely wrong and should be repealed.

Mr Jain said that the land on which the mosque is built is in the name of Shri Krishna Janmasthan Trust. In such a situation, the agreement made by the Seva Sangh is wrong.

" Therefore, by repealing the said agreement, a demand has been made to remove the mosque and return the temple land to it, "he demanded.

UNI MB SY 1915