‘Well Located On Public Land Near Disputed Sambhal Mosque’, UP Govt Tells Supreme Court

Last Updated:February 24, 2025, 20:35 IST

The UP government termed the plea by Shahi Jama Masjid Committee an attempt to hinder the revival process of the well near the disputed the mosque in Sambhal.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday informed the Supreme Court in a status report that the well near the disputed mosque in Sambhal is located on public land and has no connection with the religious site.

The government had filed the report in response to a plea filed by the Shahi Jama Masjid Committee seeking maintenance of status-quo in regards to a private well, locally known as Dharani Varah Koop, near the mosque’s entrance.

The Yogi Adityanath government said that the district administration is planning to revive wells and termed the plea by the committee an attempt to obstruct the process of revival of the well and called it illegal.

The government told the court that the well was located on public land and underlined that the land is situated near the disputed mosque and not inside the premises. “The well does not have any connection with the Sambhal mosque”, it submitted.

The Uttar Pradesh government has stated that a mosque committee failed to disclose the presence of a separate well within the boundary walls of the structure during record examinations.

According to the government, the well had historically been used by people of all communities. However, following communal riots in 1978, a police outpost was constructed over a portion of the well, while the remaining part continued to be in use.

In 2012, the well was sealed off, and it currently contains no water, the government added.

Authorities emphasised that the well is one of 19 ancient wells being revived by the district administration for rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and shared community use. The restoration is part of a broader initiative to transform Sambhal into a tourism hub.

As part of this effort, a proposal has been submitted for the conservation of 14 wells, with an estimated budget of Rs 123.65 lakh. The government underscored that well development in Sambhal is crucial, as the town is classified as a ‘dark zone’ due to critically low groundwater levels.

Meanwhile, locals believe that the Shahi Jama Masjid, a Mughal-era mosque in Sambhal, was built on the site of a demolished temple called Hari Mandir. The temple’s destruction led to a long-standing dispute between communities over the religious site.