High Court judges inspected Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque in Dhar

Dhar: Two judges of the Madhya Pradesh High Court inspected the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Dhar on Saturday, ahead of the April 2 hearing on the disputed 11th-century structure.

Hindus consider it a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati (Vagdevi), while the Muslim community calls it the Kamal Maula Mosque.

Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi of the High Court’s Indore bench arrived at the site around 1:50 pm and left at 2:45 pm, an official said.

They were accompanied by Collector Priyank Mishra and Police Superintendent Mayank Awasthi.

Amid tight security, the judges inspected various parts of the structure, which is under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India, and gathered information about its architecture and history. The official said they also inspected pillars and inscriptions.

Petitioner Ashish Goyal told PTI that the judges had announced on March 16 that they would visit the site. Goyal said, “Senior district administration and ASI officials facilitated the visit. The judges had directed during the March 16 hearing that no petitioner should be present at the site during their visit. So we did not go.”